


Dangan Ronpa: Rewound Despair

by rewound_despair (gayishimaru)



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Fangan Ronpa - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, Fan Dangan Ronpa, Gen, Hope's Peak, M/M, Multi, Murder Mystery, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Science Fiction, Screenplay/Script Format, Set in 1991, So Like a Reverse Love Child AU, The Cast is Comprised of the Canon Character's Parents, Time Travel Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2018-12-02 14:25:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 151,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11511276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayishimaru/pseuds/rewound_despair
Summary: All throughout his life, Jin Kirigiri has only wanted one thing.To be free.Hope's Peak is his ticket out of a life he desperately wants to escape. It's his one chance to get back at his controlling father, to finally find out what he wants to be, to finallylive.But if Hope's Peak is meant to be his chance for freedom......Why has his class been trapped in a Killing Game?------------------------------------------------------------------------CURRENTLY ON: "FROZEN TEARDROPS ON AN ANGEL'S WASTELAND" - CHAPTER TWO, PART THREETV TROPES PAGE: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/FanFic/DanganRonpaRewoundDespair





	1. PROLOGUE: "5, 4, 3, 2, 1- Blasting Off Into Despair!" [PART ONE]

_For students across Japan, the top standard of success is simple._

 

_It isn’t top marks, or getting into a good university, or even becoming the head of your school’s council. No, for Japanese students like myself, the top achievement that would define you for eternity is to be accepted into Hope’s Peak Academy. Stuff like that is what kids dream of. To become a Hope’s Peak student, you need to be the best of the best, the top of the top, the creme de la creme._

 

_Students that are invited to bask in its hallowed halls are known as Super High School Levels, a phrase that could strike awe into a “regular” student’s very soul. But for me, Hope’s Peak was more than just a simple goal, a ‘what-if’ scenario that pushed me to excel in whatever subject I felt could register me as one of the ultimates. For me, entry into Hope’s Peak Academy was much simpler than that._

 

_It was revenge._

 

_My name is Jin Kirigiri, only son of Fuhito and Kumiko Kirigiri, and newest member of the Kirigiri Clan. My “family” was not a place where I could ever be myself. I was not allowed to be Jin… I just had to be a Kirigiri. And being a Kirigiri meant being a detective. That was what I was groomed to be. From the moment I was born, I was trained to observe. To calculate. To deduce. Anything else was… unacceptable. There was no way for me to rebel… no way except this._

 

_My family was never one for taking credit, for stepping outside of the boundaries. We stuck close to the police, consulting for them and solving half their cases for them. Individual success was never praised… any work you did well was because you were a Kirigiri. Because you were part of the family. Because you had been raised that way._

 

_I wouldn’t allow myself to be caught in that cycle any longer. But it wasn’t like I could stop being a detective either. It was all I knew, and the risk of abandonment by my father was too high. But I could warp the boundaries of “detective” just a little bit. Just the tiniest bit, so miniscule that hardly anyone would care or notice- except my family._

 

 _And thus, Kirigiri and Co Private Investigation Agency was born. My father didn’t know, of course- not until I made the headlines. Not until a nice little letter addressed to me came in from Hope’s Peak. Not until I earned the title of the_ **_Super High School Level Private Investigator_ ** _. It wasn’t a huge change from being a detective, but I could live with it. It was still revenge._

 

_I was half surprised my father even allowed me to attend._

 

_But here I was, staring up at the oh-so-famed halls of Hope’s Peak. This was it. Once I stepped through those doors, I would be free. Once I stepped through them, I would be… be-_

 

 **JIN:** Mnnmmnf!

 

_Before I knew it, a cloth was covering my face. That smell… I know it from somewhere… if I can just remember…_

 

_...the world just needs…_

 

_...to stop…_

 

_...spinning…_

 

_...chloro…_

 

_…_

 

_……_

 

_……………_

 

**PROLOGUE - START** **  
** **“5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - BLASTING OFF INTO DESPAIR!”**

 

 **JIN:** _…_

 

_When I woke up, I wasn’t at Hope’s Peak any more. It was hard to get used to the light… it seemed to sear right into my eyes. Wherever I was, it was bright out… either that or the drug had caused me to become hypersensitive to light. Could chloroform do that? I was too out of it to remember properly._

 

 **???:** Hey, Jin! You waking up yet?

 

_That had to be the voice of my attacker. Who else would know my name? Funny, he didn’t sound like I thought he would sound… was I dealing with a kid? Shit, that’d be embarrassing._

 

 **???:** Hell-oooo! I can’t sit here waiting for you all day! Jeez, I know you can hear me!

 

_I blinked, turning to face my supposed attacker. Yep, definitely a kid- or at least someone my age. It was hard to tell from his squatting position, but he looked short, and not too defined either. Not someone I’d usually pin for kidnapping and assault- although criminals did come in all shapes and sizes. He was wearing what looked to be a modified gakuran, with a small strip of paper pinned to the front. His hair was the most unusual thing about him- it had obviously been dyed deep blue, but with a vibrant electric streak running through his fringe. He blinked at me, and then smiled wide._

 

 **???:** [Excited; hands clasped] Hey, you’re awake! Awesome! It’s about time, Jin!

 

 **JIN:** … Where am I?

 

_It’s a childish question to ask, but I really do want to know. If I can get this guy talking, hopefully I’ll get some idea how to get out of this mess. He doesn’t look armed, unless he’s hiding some sort of weapon inside that uniform…_

 

 **???:** Haha, he speaks!

 

 **???:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Uh, but to answer that question… I don’t know.

 

 **JIN:** What do you mean, you don’t know?!

 

 **???:** Woah! I’m in the same boat as you, y’know!

 

 **???:** [Angered; pointing] Don’t go acting like I’m the bad guy here!

 

_...The same boat as me?_

 

 **JIN:** So… you’re telling me that you were kidnapped too?

 

_That would explain why he looks like a highschooler._

 

 **???:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Y-yeah… Don’t tell anybody, but I’m kinda freaked out by this whole thing!

 

 **???:** [Frightened; clutching chest] I didn’t think my journalism would get me into _this_ much trouble, honest!

 

 **JIN:** Journalism, huh?

 

_If he’s really a victim, then they seem to be targeting people with investigative properties… this could be really bad._

 

 **???:** [Proud; hands on hips] Yup! Journalism of the highest quality! There’s a reason I got into Hope’s Peak, after all.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** They don’t call me “Kotohiko Maizono: Super High School Level Tabloid Author” for nothing!

 

**KOTOHIKO MAIZONO - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL TABLOID AUTHOR**

 

_…_

 

 **JIN:** I wouldn’t exactly call that journalism.

 

_Wait, did I say that out loud?!_

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Angered; pointing] Hey, I take offense to that!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Resigned; sighing] Though, I suppose to an investigative superstar like yourself, tabloids are just trashy rags…

 

 **JIN:** Sorry, I just… yeah.

 

 **JIN:** But that reminds me…

 

 **JIN:** How come you know who I am? Unless you were a client, I don’t see why you’d be familiar with my work.

 

_I don’t remember investigating for this guy. I’m pretty sure I would remember him if I did._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] Oh! I should have known you would pick up on that, Jin!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I actually run a tabloid centered around Hope’s Peak Academy!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Starry-eyed; drooling] So of course I know _all_ about everyone who got accepted this year… I’ve researched you all _extensively._ You’re all superstars to me!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** This is like meeting Tom Cruise! Or Madonna! Or Akihito!

 

 _I don’t know who the first two are, but I really don’t think I compare to the_ **_goddamn Emperor of Japan!_ **

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Wiping drool from mouth] Anyway, that’s how I knew your name. And your talent. And your birthday. And- well, you get the idea!

 

_This guy… really is something._

 

 **JIN:** Well, that clears up a lot. You’re really. Erm. Dedicated to your craft.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Proud; hands on hips] That’s understating it, Jin! I told you I was the best journalist around!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I mean, you don’t even know how much I know about the **others**!

 

_Wait._

 

 **JIN:** Did… did you just say “others”? Are there other Hope’s Peak students here?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] Oh, you bet there are! The whole class is here, actually!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Starry-eyed; drooling] All my wonderful, talented, _amazing_ classmates…

 

_The… entire class is here? That just opens up a whole other can of worms… whoever brought us here must be trying to cause an uproar. Kidnapped students from Hope’s Peak can’t exactly be swept under the rug… this could be a terrorist attempt. Whoever’s trying to pull it off clearly has the skills if they managed something like this. I hate relying on police at the best of times, but a whole class of missing students can’t be hard to track even for them- that is, if we’re still in Japan._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Annoyed; one hand on hip] ...uh, Earth to Jin Kirigiri! Hello, Jin Kirigiri!

 

 **JIN:** _What?!_

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest] Woah! S-sorry, didn’t mean to anger you, honest!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] I just noticed you looked kinda out of it…

 

 **JIN:**...Sorry, I was just thinking.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Resigned; sighing] Yeah, I know, this is probably really confusing for you… hell, it’s confusing to me!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] I didn’t want to meet my idols this way! Especially since we’re stuck somewhere so weird…

 

_Wait… where are we?_

 

_For the first time since I awoke, I actually took some time to look around my surroundings. Standing up, I could see that we were in some sort of clearing, completely covered in wild flowers. There were tall trees around us- a mixture of oak and birch, if I had to make a guess. It was truly a breathtaking sight… but I didn’t have time to appreciate its beauty. Instead, it just filled me with more confusion. Those trees looked European, but we couldn’t have gone to Europe… could we? Did the chloroform last that long, or did they drug us with something else?_

 

 **JIN:**...This doesn’t make any sense.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** You’re telling me! All I remember is stepping into Hope’s Peak, and then I felt something around my mouth… next thing I knew, I was here!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Everyone else kinda scattered, trying to find some escape route or something, but I stayed behind!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] I couldn’t just leave you to wake up on your own!

 

 **JIN:** I’m glad you did stay… cleared up a few things for me.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Starry-eyed; drooling] Really? I could help _you_? Wow!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Wiping drool from mouth] I could help more, you know!

 

 **JIN:** How so?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Proud; hands on hips] I know everything about everyone, so I can be your guide! I’ll help you meet everyone!

 

_This could help me gain more info… especially if someone in here has some interesting backstory that could help me solve this mystery…_

 

_Thank god for stalkers._

 

 **JIN:** You know, I think I’ll take you up on that deal.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] Excellent!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Determined; grinning] I won’t let you down, Jin!

 

_Kotohiko grabbed my hand and practically dragged me out of the clearing. A small dirt path curved through the trees, and down into a much larger clearing. This one was… definitely a lot stranger than the first one._

 

_Instead of wildflowers, this clearing contained eight cabins, arranged in a circle around what looked to be a fire pit. It looked like some sort of summer camp, set up in the middle of nowhere. At least that narrowed down our location from “European forest” to “European forest with summer camp”. Down the other side of the clearing was a strange-looking amphitheatre, sunken into the ground. Maybe this was some sort of theatre camp…?_

 

_Kotohiko lead me towards the cabins. As I approached them, a couple of teenagers came into focus. They looked like they were in some sort of argument._

 

 **??? [Girl]:** Do you think I look like a fucking idiot?

 

 **??? [Boy]:** N-no, ma’am!

 

 **??? [Girl]:** Ma’am? Oh, so I’m not an idiot, I’m an _old lady._ I’m not senile, you fucking piece of shit.

 

 **??? [Boy]:** No, that wasn’t what I was implying, honest!

 

_...A very one-sided argument, it seemed._

 

_They were both around my age, which made sense, seeing as they were supposedly members of my class… the boy was a few inches shorter than me, dressed up in what looked to be a camp uniform. That was definitely… suspicious. He had shoulder-length blonde hair, hanging free underneath a beige hat. He sported a large sash, which was absolutely covered in merit badges. A boy scout, then. I’d bet a thousand yen that that was his talent._

 

_The girl, on the other hand, was way shorter. Probably around an inch shorter than Kotohiko. She was wearing a pressed purple suit, shoulder pads and all, and her greyish hair was cropped just above the shoulders. She looked almost sickly pale, but her heavily-outlined eyes burned with a passionate hatred I’d only seen in the eyes of the most bloodthirsty killers._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Shouting; hands cupped around mouth] Hey! Shizuya, Koichi! The new guy woke up!

 

 **SHIZUYA?:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] Do you think I care about that, fly-boy? I have more important things to be doing. Namely, trying to get some answers out of this fucking pig!

 

 **KOICHI?:** [Panicked, clutching shoulders] I’ve told you, miss, I don’t know anything! It’s just a coincidence that I’m a boy scout- I don’t even know this camp!

 

_Looks like my guess was right on the money._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Angered; pointing] Hey, who are you calling ‘fly-boy’?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] I mean, it’s a pretty creative insult, especially if you mean it in the ‘fly on the wall’ sense…

 

 **SHIZUYA?:** [Furious; clenched fists] SHUT IT, FLY-BOY!

 

 **KOICHI?:** [Angry; crossed arms] Okay, you can be rude to me, but I draw the line at insulting classmates!

 

 **JIN:** Hey, can- can everyone just calm down for two seconds?

 

 **KOICHI?:** [Surprised; covering mouth] Oh! He really did wake up!

 

 **KOICHI?:** [Grinning; eyes closed] Hello, fellow classmate! You must be Jin! Kotohiko’s told us a lot about you!

 

 **JIN:** I bet he has…

 

 **KOICHI:** Just to get introductions out of the way, my name is Koichi Kizakura! The Super High School Level Boy Scout!

 

**KOICHI KIZAKURA - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL BOY SCOUT**

 

 **JIN:** Nice to meet y-

 

 **SHIZUYA?:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] Nobody cares about that, you fucking pitiful excuse for a pollyanna. If anything, the new fucker would care about me, not you!

 

 **JIN:**...And why is that?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] Ooh! I know this! It’s because Shizuya is super-

 

 **SHIZUYA:** I can make my own fucking introduction, fly-boy. Shut your stupid, garbage-spewing trap.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] Anyways, you’d care about me because I’m far more famous than some lousy _boy scout._

 

 **SHIZUYA:** I’m surprised this piece-of-shit school didn’t scout me the moment I posted my very first review!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Starry-eyed, drooling] Shizuya’s a-

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Furious; hands clenched] I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] I guess my introduction is ruined, anyway. Shizuya Kamoto. Super High School Level Critic.

 

**SHIZUYA KAMOTO - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL CRITIC**

 

 **SHIZUYA:** I’m not going to waste another second on you imbeciles.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Back turned] If I had to rate this conversation, it would be an instant 0/5 stars. Don’t try to follow me.

 

_And with that, Shizuya left the clearing, marching off into the woods._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Wiping drool from mouth] Like I was going to say, Shizuya is a world-famous critic! She’s critiqued everything- from movies, to food, to books, even children’s games! And the thing is, all her criticism is totally justified! It can’t be fought against!

 

 **KOICHI:** [Sad; grabbing arm] Well, if you ask me, the only criticism the world needs is _constructive_ criticism.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Whispering] Koichi over here’s not quite world-famous, but he is quite well known to boy scouts everywhere! He’s achieved all of his merit badges in record time, and even started his own camp for underprivileged kids to learn scouting skills!

 

 **JIN:** That’s… really charitable. Where did he get the money to open the camp?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** It’s a mystery! If you ask me, something shady might be going on…

 

 **KOICHI:** [Awkward; half-smiling] Uh, you guys do know it’s not very nice to talk about people behind their backs… right?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest] Eep! I thought I was being quiet!

 

 **KOICHI:** [Mischievous; winking] Nah, you were! I just have really good intuition. Besides, it wasn’t hard to guess, after all…

 

 **JIN:** I guess we were being pretty obvious.

 

_Koichi seems like a reasonable guy… I wonder if he knows what’s going on here?_

 

 **JIN:** This place we’re all stuck in… it looks like a summer camp, right? Do you have any idea where we are?

 

 **KOICHI:** [Sad; grabbing arm] Sorry, no… this isn’t like any camp I’ve seen before.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] I’m starting to think we might not even be in Japan anymore…

 

 **JIN:** I came to the same conclusion.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Surprised; hand covering mouth] Really?

 

 **KOICHI:** [Sad; clutching arm] That would make a lot of sense, actually… the flora here is more European than Japanese.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Pointing at badge] I earned my badge for flora recognition a year ago!

 

 **JIN:** So we’re somewhere in Europe, then… That probably means we can’t rely on the Japanese police force to find us.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Grinning; eyes closed] Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that! We already have a police officer in our midst!

 

 **JIN:** Wait, really?

 

 **KOICHI:** Uh-huh! I think he went down to the amphitheatre? I’ll stay back here and try to look for more clues!

 

 **JIN:** That’d be really helpful. Come on, Kotohiko.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited, clasping hands] Alright! Let’s go talk to him!

 

_Kotohiko and I walked down to the amphitheatre. It was very spacious- it looked like it could easily hold around a hundred people. Why were there so few cabins if the amphitheatre was this large? A small stream seemed to be running through the stage area, disappearing into tunnels on either side of the amphitheatre._

 

_Two girls were sitting on opposite ends of the amphitheatre… which meant the supposedly male police officer was nowhere in sight. Damn it. Maybe one of them would have seen where he went?_

 

_I decided to approach the girl sitting nearest to me. She looked to be around average height, although it was hard to tell, seeing as she was sitting down and letting her feet soak in the stream. Her hair was flashy- half of it dyed light pink and curling down to her waist, the other half almost completely shaven off. She was wearing a crop top and short-shorts, and generally seemed pretty relaxed with this whole situation. When I approached, she flashed me a peace sign._

 

 **???:** [Relaxed; flashing peace sign] Yo.

 

 **JIN:**...Yo.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Uh, Jin…? Do we really need to talk to _her…_?

 

 **???:** [Smirking; eyebrow raised] What’s so bad about me?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest] Eep!

 

 **???:** You look like you’re bouta piss yourself.

 

 _...Why_ **_is_ ** _he so scared?_

 

 **JIN:** Uh…

 

 **???:** [Bored; resting chin on hand] C’mon, this is just getting awkward. Why don’t I break the ice?

 

 **HIROKO:** [Pumped; clenching both fists] The name’s Hiroko Hagakure, head of the most badass girl gang around!

 

**HIROKO HAGAKURE - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL GIRL GANG LEADER**

 

_Oh. So that’s why he was scared._

 

 **HIROKO:** [Relaxed; flashing peace sign] But you guys don’t have’ta be scared of me. Unless ya piss me off.

 

 **JIN:** I’ll keep that in mind.

 

 **HIROKO:** [Smirking; eyebrow raised] That’s smart a’ you.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Uh, Jin? Can we go now?

 

 **JIN:** Not yet.

 

 **JIN:** Anyway, Hiroko… did you see a police officer come through here?

 

 **HIROKO:** …

 

 **HIROKO:** [Pissed off; middle finger raised] That motherfucker. Yeah, I saw him.

 

_I guess a police officer and the leader of a girl gang wouldn’t get along very well…_

 

 **HIROKO:** He fucked off after talkin’ to that chick over there. Good fuckin’ riddance, he kept talkin’ about how he should arrest me an’ all that shit.

 

 **HIROKO:** [Enraged; raising fist] I had half a mind to punch his fuckin’ lights in!

 

 **JIN:** Woah, hey, calm down!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Nngnn… don’t tell her to calm down!

 

 **HIROKO:** [Looking off into distance] Nah, it’s fine. Tch, I just get angry sometimes, y’know?

 

 **HIROKO:** Anyway…

 

 **HIROKO:** [Bored; resting chin on hand] Talk to the weirdo over there if y’wanna know where the bastard fucked off to.

 

_That seems like the best course of action._

 

 **JIN:** C’mon, Kotohiko. Let’s get going.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** O-okay…

 

_I wonder what has him so terrified? Hiroko certainly has an… interesting talent, but she doesn’t seem that bad._

 

_Maybe this was worth looking into... if Kotohiko really was brimming with knowledge about the rest of our classmates, it would be wasting a source of information not to figure out exactly what he knew about all of us. Especially those with more... shady talents. Although I doubt that any gang would kidnap their leader's class and drag them to some forest in the middle of Europe, Hiroko **had** seemed remarkably calm for the circumstances. At first it had seemed reassuring, but the more I thought about it, the more... troubling it got. _

 

_I diverted away from our straight path to the other girl in the clearing, tugging Kotohiko aside so I could talk to him one-on-one._

 

 **JIN:** Listen, Kotohiko. You are my most valuable source of information in this place right now. I can't formulate any knowledge about what's going on if I'm not sure of all the variables. If you think that Hiroko is up to something shady, or she's intimidating you because of a piece of knowledge only  _you_ know about, then  _you need to tell me._ Got it?

 

_Kotohiko flinched, worrying his thumb between his teeth as he glanced over my shoulder and towards Hiroko. But it seems that the promise of being useful to one of his "beloved idols" overpowered his fear, and he slid close to me, dropping his voice to a whisper._

**KOTOHIKO:** [Whispering] Listen... there are several nasty rumours around Hiroko. I'm an investigator, just like you, Jin- ah, but not nearly as talented, obviously! But when I saw some shady news articles about her gang, I just  _had_ to investigate... and I wasn't happy to find what I found.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Arson, theft, vandalism... even  _murder._ Hiroko's been charged with all of them, but they can never incarcerate her. Considering the state of our legal system's trial-to-jail pipeline, that's insane! She's managed to get off the hook for  _everything,_ and no matter how hard I digged, I could never find out  _why._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] If there's one thing I hate, it's not  _knowing_ something. So all of this stuff... while I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for this, Hiroko would definitely be my prime suspect out of everyone here.

 

_Kotohiko drew away, sighing, and I nodded at him. That was good to know. Even if his hunch had been nothing but a gut feeling, what he'd said had ignited a possibility in my mind: one of us could be responsible for this situation, and I had to pay extra attention to everyone I met. I never knew when I could be looking into the eyes of my kidnapper, or at least someone complicit in it. It would be worthy to keep my guard up today. But I wasn't going to get anywhere by ignoring anyone either, so it looked like we had to move on._

 

_The two of us trudged through the amphitheatre to get to the tunnel on the left side of the stage. A girl was sitting there, almost curled into a ball. She looked like she was having some sort of an anxiety attack… maybe it wasn’t the right time to approach her? But as we did, she slowly uncurled, looking up at us with panicked eyes._

 

_From what I could see, she was very small, and kinda pudgy… her face was almost cherubic, and her big hazel eyes blinked with innocence. Her sandy-brown hair fell around her face, the fringe brushing over the tops of her eyes. She was wearing quite an unusual uniform… checkered shorts held up by green suspenders, and a golden ribbon tied around the collar of her shirt in place of a tie. Thick-rimmed black glasses lined her eyes, and seemed to almost enlarge them. She gave off the impression of a startled bunny rabbit, or maybe a doe..._

 

 **???:** [Cowering; clutching head] S-stay away from me!

 

 **JIN:** H-hey, we’re just here to ask you a few questions!

 

 **???:** No q-questions! You’re here to t-torture me, aren’t you?! A-aren’t you?!

 

 **JIN:** N-no, that’s not it, I swear!

 

_Her stutter is almost infectious…_

 

 **???:** [Accusing; shakily pointing] W-well you’re n-not getting anything out of me! E-even the cop couldn’t! H-ha!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] …

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; clasping hands] Oh, you must be Taichi!

 

 **TAICHI?:** [Shocked; tugging at hair] W-w-wh-what?!

 

 **TAICHI?:** H-how d-do you know my n-name?!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Proud; hands on hips] I looked up the online register of new Hope’s Peak students! I even know your talent! It’s the Super High School Level-

 

 **TAICHI?:** [Frenzied; ripping hair out] SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!

 

 **JIN:**...Taichi?

 

_But isn’t that a boys name?_

 

 **TAICHI?:** [Cowering; clutching head] T-this- this is-

 

 **TAICHI?:** [Accusing; shakily pointing] This is all the government’s fault! I knew they’d fucking find me! And you- you’re the government’s agents!

 

 **TAICHI?:** W-well, you’re not gonna fool me! N-not if my name isn’t Taichi Fujisaki-!

 

**TAICHI FUJISAKI - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL ???**

 

 **TAICHI:** [Shocked; tugging on hair] I-I mean! Fuck!

 

_And with that, Taichi ran away. She’s… certainly very odd._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Resigned; sighing] Damn… and with that, he’s gone.

 

 **JIN:** Wait… he was a boy?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Proud; hands on hips] Wasn't it obvious, Jin? You can't just judge a book by it's cover! I've met plenty of short guys with high voices!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I mean, I  _am_ a short boy with a high voice!

 

 **JIN:** Guess it pays not to make assumptions here, huh.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** That's one of my general life philosophies. You can't get anywhere without  _evidence,_ so assuming something is true isn't going to get you far at all. Maybe that's why they chose me as an ultimate, haha...

 

_Kotohiko trailed off at the end there, blushing a little and rubbing the back of his neck. He was right, though- most gossip mags I'd seen didn't pay much attention towards the validity of their claims. Kotohiko might be less of a trashy journalist than I'd first thought... another assumption I'd made which was steadily being proven false. I needed to remind myself not to fall into the pitfalls of first impressions._

 

 **JIN:** I guess so. I just wish that Taichi had told us where the officer was, really...

 

_Frustratingly_ _enough, finding this police officer seems like my best bet right now. Normally I wasn't so fond of working with them, but two trained brains were better than one, especially if he could call for backup. I just need to find him, and maybe this would all sort itself out._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Disappointed; sighing] Yeah, we’re back to square one…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] Hmm… we could always just follow the river? He might have tried to investigate one of the tunnels…

 

 **JIN:** Yeah… it’s more likely that he went down this one here. Not much reason to go all the way over to the other one.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] Alright! Let’s get going!

 

_The tunnel was fairly cramped, and I had to bend over to walk through it. Kotohiko had no problem, happily walking along and tracing his fingers over some strange inscriptions in the interior brick. I made a mental note to find a light and come and study the inscriptions… they might be important. Maybe they’d even tell me what country we were in._

 

_The tunnel eventually emerged into an area that resembled a small frog pond. I expected to see a group of them jumping around the lily pads that spotted the ponds surface, but for some reason, the pond was entirely barren of any animals. It was… unnerving. A small bridge crossed over the pond, and on it, a small group of people- 4 girls, 1 boy- seemed to be having a chat._

 

 **??? [Girl 1]:** [Thinking; looking at hand] There’s something odd about this place… can’t put my… finger on it…

 

 **??? [Boy 1]:** [Angry; one fist clenched] Yeah, no shit, Sherlock! We’ve all been kidnapped!

 

 **??? [Girl 2]:** [Annoyed; pointing] Hey, no need to be an asshole. She’s just telling it as it is.

 

 **??? [Girl 3]:** [Troubled; clutching wrist] Indeed… this place truly holds some dark energies from within. All members of the beastly realm have been banished from this domain! An even more heinous spirit must have hastened their leave…

 

 **??? [Boy 1]:** [Confused; scratching face] ...The fuck’s that meant to mean?

 

 **??? [Girl 4]:** [Thinking; resting chin on fingers] I think what she’s tryin’ ta say is that there’s no animals ‘round these parts. It’s troublin’...

 

 **??? [Girl 3]:** [Smirking; arms crossed] Ha! Troubling for a mere mortal, maybe!

 

_This was the largest group of people I’d seen so far… but from what heard, they had no idea what’s going on either._

 

_God fucking damn it._

 

 **??? [Girl 1]:**...Huh. There’s someone here…

 

 **??? [Boy 1]:** [Annoyed; face-palming] Ugh, you think it’s that cop again?

 

_!!!_

 

 **??? [Girl 1]:** [Sarcastic; eyebrow raised] No… idiot. He said he was… leaving…

 

_It looks like these guys have an idea where the police officer went… this is ending up like a wild goose chase. The police really are useless._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Shouting; hands cupped around mouth] Hey guys! Jin woke up! I brought him over here!

 

 **JIN:**...Hi.

 

 **??? [Girl 3]:** Ha! The weakest link awakens! Has he come to challenge me?! Pitiful fool!

 

_The girl who spoke certainly looked… unusual. Her fringe was half-bleached, and covered her eyes. She was dressed in a flowing purple cape that wrapped around her, and her face was heavily caked in makeup. A long skirt peeked out from the bottom of the skirt, ruffled and multi-layered in shades of grey and black. All in all, she looked a lot like a stereotypical goth, taken to the extreme._

 

 **JIN:** No, that’s not- I just want to ask you some questions.

 

 **RENMA:** [Enraged; hands curled into claws] You _dare_ question the great Renma Tanaka, Supreme Oracle of Fire?! You would tremble under the power of a esteemed cult leader such as I!

 

**RENMA TANAKA - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL CULT LEADER**

 

 **JIN:** _…Cult leader?!_

_That can’t be legal._

**RENMA:** [Annoyed; arms crossed] Tch… what a feeble mind. Could you not sense my dark aura?! This doesn’t come from any everyday occultist, fool!

**??? [Girl 1]:** [Thinking; looking at hand] ...Oh yeah. That was your talent…

**??? [Boy 1]:** [Annoyed; face-palming] You forgot it _again?!_

**??? [Girl 1]:**...Wasn’t really important. But if we’re doing introductions…

_The girl turned to face me, eyeing my up and down with a completely bored expression on her face. Her tangled brown hair fell down to her mid-back, and was almost as dull as her bleary grey eyes. Her clothes were clearly in poor shape, her dark green vest dragging on the floor behind her. She held the general aura of someone who had just woken up from a coma, and the medical bracelet wrapped around her left wrist seemed to confirm this._

**??? [Girl 1]:** [Serious] ...Minon.

**JIN:**...Minon?

**MINON:** [Lazy smile; waving] That’s my name… idiot. Minon… uh. Yoshi...hama? Yeah, that’s it… I’m lucky.

 

**MINON YOSHIHAMA - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL LUCKY STUDENT**

**??? [Boy 1]:** [Annoyed; face-palming] Not lucky enough to get a functioning brain, though.

**??? [Girl 2]:** Oh, just fuck off and leave her alone.

**MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] ...Nah… I know I’m smarter than… him anyway…

**JIN:** Uh. Nice to meet you, Minon.

_She keeps stalling halfway through her sentences. It’s sort of irritating._

**KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] Jin, this is Minon! She’s a super special student!

**JIN:**...How so?

**KOTOHIKO:** [Starry-eyed; drooling] Minon’s the Super High School Level Lucky Student, which means she got in on the raffle! Which is like, a one-in-a-hundred-million chance! And I heard she’s the number one lottery winner of all time, too!

**MINON:** [Sarcastic; eyebrow raised] ...What a creep…

_She said that so quietly I almost didn’t hear it._

**??? [Girl 4]:** [Shy; hands over heart] I hope y’all don’t mind if I introduce myself next. This sweetheart looks a lil’ overwhelmed with all of us crowdin’ him…

_I had to actually look down to see where this voice was coming from, as the girl was so short. She was very plump, and her eyes seemed to be perpetually closed. Her stringy brown hair was tied into two buns on either side of her head, and she wore a vintage red dress with white polka-dots decorating it. She looked a little strange, but something about her radiated a positive and homely aura._

**RENMA:** [Smirking; arms crossed] Feh, of course a whimpering soul like his would be ‘overwhelmed’ by my presence.

**??? [Girl 4]:** Now, Renma dear, don’t be rude.

**RENMA:** [Blushing; hand clamped over mouth] Renma… _d-dear_?

**??? [Girl 4]:** Anyway, as I was sayin’...

**HANA:** [Happy; curtseying] My name is Hana Hanamura, sweetheart. This school calls me the Super High School Level Chef, but that’s just a lil’ bit too fancy for a simple hometown gal like me, so I’d prefer y’all call me a cook.

 

**HANA HANAMURA - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL CHEF**

_I actually think I’ve heard of her before… isn’t she the head chef at the restaurant my father frequents? I wasn’t aware she was so young…_

**JIN:** It’s nice to meet you, Hana. I’ve actually heard of your work.

**HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] Haha, really? Now, don’t go tellin’ anyone, I don’t wanna come off as too braggy, y’know?

_...Huh? It looks like she doesn’t want to talk about her job…_

**KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] Never fear, Hana! You’ll get your recognition when I publish my newest article!

**HANA:** Oh, that’s… fantastic, sweetheart…

**RENMA:** [Blushing; twiddling fingers] _Renma… dear… d-dearie…_

**??? [Girl 2]:** [Relieved; sighing] Well, that’s three out of five done! Time for my introdu-

_Before she could finish that sentence, the only boy in their little group interrupted her. He was probably the worst dressed out of all of them, sporting a combination of a puffy pink parka jacket, a skin-tight lycra shirt, and breezy bike shorts. The latter two items were both a sickening shade of yellow. His dark hair was extremely messy, and two bright pink eyes peeked out from behind thin-rimmed glasses._

**TOKIYA:** [Grinning; thumbs-up] Yo yo yo! Tokiya Souda’s the name, and bicycle racing’s my game! Nice to meet you, dude!

 

**TOKIYA SOUDA - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL BICYCLE RACER**

**JIN:**...You were the one who nearly got caught in that cheating scandal, right?

**TOKIYA:** [Angry; one hand clenched] Hey! I’m not fucking cheat, alright! They found I was clean, goddamn it!

_Shit, definitely shouldn’t have said that one out loud._

**KOTOHIKO:** [Starry-eyed; drooling] Of course you wouldn’t cheat! That’s what makes you a Hope’s Peak student, right, Tokiya!

**TOKIYA:** [Grinning; thumbs-up] Hey, I like you, dude!

**KOTOHIKO:** [Wiping drool from mouth] I’m just a fan… but thanks.

**??? [Girl 2]:** [Annoyed; pointing] Hey, you totally interrupted my introduction, asshole!

**TOKIYA:** [Flirty; biting lip] Hey, a hot girl like you shouldn’t be getting so pissed…

**TOKIYA:** [Annoyed; face-palming] Seriously, it’s ruining the whole “sexy redhead” thing you got goin’ for ya!

 

 **??? [Girl 2]:** Nngh, if you don’t shut up now you might show up in one of my next photographs.

_That’s… certainly an unusual threat._

_The final girl was around average height and weight, and had long red hair tied into two braids. Her face was spattered with freckles, and she had a slight gap between her two front teeth. She was wearing practical clothes- a light blue button-down over dark blue jeans. On her back was a fairly small orange backpack, barely visible from the front._

**??? [Girl 2]:** [Relieved; sighing] At least I’ll get to introduce myself now…

**HITOMIKO:** [Gentle smile; showing dimples] My name’s Hitomiko Inazuma. I’m the Super High School Level War Photographer.

 

**HITOMIKO INAZUMA - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL WAR PHOTOGRAPHER**

**JIN:** Wait, you're  _that_ Inazuma? Like, the photographer who sneaks into prison camps?

**HITOMIKO:** [Excited; flapping hands] Exactly! Those are some of my favourite works! Do you like them?

**JIN:** Wait, so you took them? Isn’t it… illegal?

**HITOMIKO:** Not if you have a fake ID! Besides, I sneak onto crime scenes to take pictures all the time, so it’s basically the same thing! Eeee, I haven’t met anyone who knew my work before!! Which one’s your favourite?

**JIN:**...Uh, well, ignoring your confession of illegal activity right there… I’d have to say your work at the Gulf War. It’s very effective.

**MINON:**...Yeah… Effective at showing… a lot of dead bodies…

**HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing] H-hey! That’s not _all_ what they’re about!

**KOTOHIKO:** [Whispering] Hey, Jin? Don’t forget we have to ask about the police officer…

_Shit, I almost forgot._

**JIN:** Hey… anyway, you guys… you were talking about a police officer earlier?

**TOKIYA:** Aw man… don’t make me remember that guy! He was a total freak!

**RENMA:** [Troubled; clutching wrist] I concur… he asked too many prying questions.

**HITOMIKO:** [Conflicted; wincing] C’mon guys… he wasn’t… _that_ bad…

**MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] ...Nah, he definitely _was_ that bad…

**HANA:** [Biting lip; sweating profusely] ...Er… I can’t even argue against y’all.

_Those are certainly some glowing reviews._

**JIN:** Uh… I kinda need to have a word with him. I’m a Private Investigator, you see, so I was wondering if I got to talk to him we could figure something out together.

**RENMA:** [Serious] Ah, I see…

**RENMA:** [Smirking; arms crossed] So the two of you are planning to make a demonic partnership in order to spy on all of us! I’ve got you all figured out!

**HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] No, darling, I think he just wants to try an’ get us all outta here, y’see?

**RENMA:** [Blushing; hand clamped over mouth] _D-darling?!_

**HITOMIKO:** Well… I don’t really think you’ll get much out of him, but if you have to know, he said he was going to backtrack and check out where the river started.

**TOKIYA:** [Looking to the side] I think you just missed him, actually… dunno how that worked, he must of taken another route around the pond or something.

**TOKIYA:** [Annoyed; face-palming] Or you’re just a total dumbass and walked right past him!

**HANA:** [Thinking; resting chin on fingers] Y’know, I actually think I saw him take the route through the forest. I checked it out earlier an’ it’s pretty much a shortcut ‘tween here and the waterfall. Dunno how that works out…

_A waterfall, huh?_

_Guess I know where we’re going next._

**JIN:** Thank you guys so much- I have to get going now, I don’t want to miss him again.

**HANA:** [Shy; hands over heart] Oh, it was my pleasure, dear.

**MINON:** [Thinking; looking at hand] See you… whoever you are…

**TOKIYA:** C’mon- _seriously?!_ You gonna forget your _own_ name next?!

 

_Kotohiko and I left the pond before we got caught up in another mess of an argument. The trail Hana described wasn’t hard to find, the sound of distant water rushing coming from the end of it. I had a few minutes to talk to Kotohiko, who was whistling some strange little melody under his breath. It was starting to become easy to tolerate his companionship, especially with the good info he was feeding me. I'd never consider myself the type to make friends, but if Kotohiko ever wanted to move out of journalism, he could find a comfortable home as part of the consulting department at my office. It always pays to be close to someone who knows everyone. Speaking of, our last encounter had seemed a little overwhelming. It was the first time we'd encountered a group, if you didn't count Koichi and Shizuya. Kotohiko didn't really have time to expand on any of those interesting characters._

 

 **JIN:** So... Kotohiko.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Hm?

 

 **JIN:** You have the notes on who we just met? No need to go in-depth with Inazuma, I'm already familiar with her... but the others are definitely new. I didn't even know that Hope's Peak considered  _luck_ to be a skill.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] Oh.. that's the new program they're doing this year! I didn't get all the details, but apparently they picked out this  _suuuuper_ lucky girl, and they're planning on studying why her luck hasn't run dry yet. Apparently, if things go well, they're going to make it a yearly event- a Lucky Student picked from a lottery, invited in to study if luck could be considered a talent!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Starry-eyed; drooling] Hope's Peak is so cool... it's so neat that they're pushing the boundaries every  _day_ over what's a "talent" and what's not. It gives more hope to the little guys, y'know? Maybe someday  _everyone_ could be considered to have a worthy talent! 

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Wiping drool from face] Although maybe that would just be blurring the lines too far, haha...

 

 **JIN:** I mean, their idea of what's "the best of the best" already seems pretty eclectic. How do you be the best at leading a  _cult?_ By not being executed yet?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Well, basically, yeah! That and the fact that supposedly Renma's cult has started to indoctrinate a whole city. It's some pretty scary stuff, but nobody could find where they were based... until a Hope's Peak scout managed to stumble on Renma during one of her rallies and followed her home. That's how she got scouted, reportedly.

 

 **JIN:** And how do  _you_ know that? That seems like fairly high-level stuff only Hope's Peak's administration would know.

 

_At this, Kotohiko reached into one of his belt pockets, pulling out a small blue journal._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Waving journal around] I have my sources! Everything's written down in here, interviews and evidence and all. It's my most prized possession!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Holding journal close to chest] This is just my journal dedicated to the class, though. And even then, I've spilt coffee on a couple of the pages.

 

_So not a very "prized possession" at all, huh?_

 

 **JIN:** Neat...

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Flicking through journal] Like here, it tells all about Tokiya's records in racing! All the ones I could find in newspapers, at least... and some interviews around his hometown. I got a lot of dirt on you guys, but not much personal information... just stuff related to your talents, pretty much. So don't freak out!

 

_How can I not?!_

 

 **JIN:**...Can you tear out all the pages about me?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Wha- No! Jin, you're cool, but I can't just give you special treatment! Yours is one of the shorter sections anyway... you really don't get out much, do you?

 

 **JIN:**...

 

_I can't counter that._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Disappointed; sighing] I promise not to go digging around your personal life or anything, if that upsets you. I mean... assuming I'll have the chance to do this once we get out of this place, anyway. 

 

 **JIN:** Thank you.

 

_That's surprisingly sweet of Kotohiko, putting his talent aside for my wishes... even if his phrasing does imply he's going to go digging around the personal lives of all our other classmates. I guess I can't win them all._

 

_Our conversation trailed off, and the sound of rushing water grew louder and louder, until it was almost deafening. We emerged from the trail into another clearing, this one dominated by a giant waterfall flowing off the side of a cliff and into a strong river. I could spot two students here… a girl, and a boy. And luckily for my slowly-declining patience and sanity, the boy was wearing a police uniform._

_Jackpot._

_He was standing on the other side of the river, talking to one of the girls, so I just needed to cross a bridge and then I could-_

**???:** [Blowing whistle] PHWEET!

_A girl jumped out at us, blowing what looked to be a gym whistle. She had dark skin, and her hair was tied into two bushy pigtails. She was wearing an open hawaiian shirt, with a striped blue crop top underneath. She was much shorter than both me and Kotohiko, but definitely intimidating. All in all, scared the shit out of me to see her suddenly jump out of nowhere._

**JIN:** Ghhk?!

**KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest] _WHAT THE SHIT?!_

**???:** [Hand out in a “halt” gesture] Halt! Nobody’s gonna cross this bridge without me!

**JIN:** What… do we have to answer three riddles or something?!

**KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Y-you came out of nowhere!

**???:** [Laughing awkwardly] Heh… sorry guys! I guess I’m a little serious when I’m in work mode!

**ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] I’m Isana Otaki, Super High School Level Lifeguard! And that bridge is totes unsafe, so I can’t let you go on it without an escort!

 

** ISANA OTAKI - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL LIFEGUARD **

**ISANA:** [Pointing sideways] ‘Aki’s a cop, so I let him go through without an escort, but you two civilians aren’t gonna get past me!

**JIN:** I think we can manage.

**ISANA:** [Hand out in a “halt” gesture] No can do! I take my job very seriously, you know? I can’t have people getting hurt on my watch!

**ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] Now… I can only let one of you cross with me at a time, or else the bridge is probably going to collapse. It can only take two peeps!

**KOTOHIKO:** Then… can’t me and Jin just go? And leave you on this side?

**ISANA:** [Frustrated; both fingers pressed into temples] No! I told you, you’re both civilians!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] Buuuuut, what if someone snuck into the river while you were escorting one of us? That’s not very vigilant of you!

**ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] Y-you’re right!

**ISANA:** [Hand held out in “halt” gesture] I guess then I won’t let _either_ of you cross!

**KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Wait, that’s not what I meant!

**JIN:**...Isana, I really need to talk to that police officer. I’m practically an officer of the law myself, just… a little less official.

**ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] So… a park ranger?

**KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest] _P-park ranger?!_ Jin is much more than a pa-

**JIN:** Yep! Exactly! A park ranger! And I’m trained in CPR too!

_Liar liar pants on fire._

**ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] Well then! I suppose I can allow it!

**KOTOHIKO:** [Whispering] But… uh, Jin, you’re not a-

**JIN:** I know.

**ISANA:** [Saluting] I hope you have a safe trip, officer!

**JIN:** I will, don’t worry.

_And with that little bluff, I was able to cross the bridge. Sans Kotohiko, unfortunately. In the few hours I had to know him, he really grew on me…_

_The bridge was pretty much as dangerous as Isana had described. It looked like it was half-rotten, and my feet nearly fell through some holes in the planks a couple times. However, it wasn’t long before I got to the other end, thankfully in one piece. Now, time to approach the officer…_

_He appeared to be in the middle of a conversation, and he was writing things down on a pocket notebook. God, I wish I remembered to pack one of those. I’d be able to make sense of my observations far easier. The girl he was talking to was obviously distressed, her thick tears causing her eyeliner to dribble down her cheeks as she talked. Although, the runny makeup was far from the most interesting thing about her._

_She looked like she was a princess fresh out of a fairytale. Her black hair had been pinned back into a bun, with a bejeweled bandana holding it in place. She was wearing a ballgown in various shades of purple, and they shimmered in the sun. The only thing not princess-like about her was her height- she practically towered over me, at least six foot tall._

_The police officer looked to be a couple inches taller than her, short cropped black hair sticking up from his head. He looked pretty unremarkable, but gave off a militaristic vibe. His shoulders were squared, and he was pretty obviously well-built- nothing like a bodybuilder, but a decent amount of muscle tone. Enough to be intimidating. The most shocking thing about him were his eyes; they were bright red, and his thick eyebrows furrowed over them and dark eye bags hanging underneath. He looked like he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a decade._

**  
**

**AKI?:** [Writing on notepad] So… that’s all you remember, correct?

**???:** [Crying; makeup running] Y-yes, that’s everything I remember until now.

**AKI?:** Hmm…

**AKI?:** [Folding notepad] Yeah, I’m going to be honest with you, I have no fucking clue.

**???:** W-what?

**AKI?:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] I _said,_ I have no fucking clue where your baby is. And I don’t particularly care to find him. I mean, I’m still going to _look_ because it’s my duty or some shit, but I want to get us all out of this mess before I focus on the fucking trivial shit.

**AKI?:** [Raising eyebrow] You got that?

**???:** …

**???:** [Huffing; wiping tears away] I really don't know how I stand being around you, you know.

****

**AKI?:** [Noncommittal; shrugging shoulders] Well, you've managed for most of your life. Get used to it, sweetheart.

 

_The girl in the dress reached over and punched this "Aki" dude on the shoulder. The strangest thing is... it seemed more like an affectionate punch than an angry one. Just what the hell was going on here? Did the two of these people know each other?_

 

**???:** [Smiling daintily; curseying] Well... I suppose if you try your best, I can't really mind how flippant you are about my son's life. Just find him, okay?

 

 **???:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] Or I  _will_ string you up by your own fuckin' intestines. 

**AKI?:** [Lazily saluting] My duty is to protect and serve, yadda yadda yadda. 

**AKI?:** [Raising eyebrow] Now, is that asshole over there gonna keep staring at us or is he gonna speak up?

**JIN:** Wait, you knew I was here the whole time?

**???:** Oh! Taka, you should have told me!

**RUKA:** [Smiling daintily; curtseying] Hello there! My name is Ruka Tamatsuki. Super High School Level Jeweler. I'm very sorry you had to see me and Taka's bickering over there... and I'm especially sorry you had to see my makeup running. 

 

**RUKA TAMATSUKI - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL JEWELER**

**RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] Looking presentable is the first step to a good life, you understand... I simply  _hate_ crying in front of strangers.

**JIN:** Then how come you let your guard down around him?

**RUKA:** [Chuckling; fingers over mouth] Oh, Taka? He’s an old friend. He used to go to my middle school. I've seen him every-which-way, it's fine if he sees me at my more... vulnerable points.

**...TAKA?:** [Neutral; crossing arms] Granted, this is the most fucked-up situation we've been in together.

**RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] I really _have_ lost my baby. Poor Daiya…

**...TAKA?:**...And I really _am_ going to find him. Though I’m like 90% sure you just left him at home and forgot about it.

**RUKA:** [Dead serious] Taka. You know I wouldn’t forget him like that.

**...TAKA?:** [Dejected; looking down] ...I know. My best guess is still that the motherfuckers who took us have hold of him.

**...TAKA?:** [Neutral; crossing arms] Anyway, I might as well introduce myself to this bastard too. Takaaki Ishimaru. Officer of the law.

 

**TAKAAKI ISHIMARU - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL POLICE OFFICER**

**TAKAAKI:** [Lazy salute] Nice to meet you.

 

 **JIN:**...Jin Kirigiri. Private investigator.

**TAKAAKI:** …

**TAKAAKI:** [Pulling out gun] Fuck off, rookie scum.

_WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH WHAT THE FUCK?!_

**JIN:** What the fuck are you doing with that?!

**TAKAAKI:** [Shooting cap] It’s plastic, asshole. Calm your tits.

**JIN:** You could have _told_ me that! It doesn’t even have an orange tip!

**TAKAAKI:** [Putting gun back] Do you really think I would shoot some rando I just fucking met?

**TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] Just like I thought, PIs are a bunch of fucking idiots.

**TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] Though, I’m surprised you’re this much of a stupid fuckwit if you’re part of the Kirigiri clan. Usually they just help us out with shit. They’re surprisingly useful.

_This guy really is an asshole._

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] Hey, Taka, back the fuck off! You just met the fucking kid!

**TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] And if I get us out of this mess, it’s the last time I’ll ever meet him. Hope’s Peak will probably shut down if this gets out to the media. Their security is lax as all fuck.

**TAKAAKI:** [Shooing motion] Now fuck off.

_Angry, I stormed away from Takaaki and Ruka. How in the everloving fuck did a guy like that become a police officer?! Let alone the_ **_Super High School Level_ ** _Police Officer?! Somehow, the bridge seemed less scary when I was stomping back. Probably because my mind was too blinded with rage to give a shit about what would happen if it broke._

**KOTOHIKO:** [Shouting; hands cupped around mouth] Hey Jin! How was it?!

**JIN:** Absolutely fucking terrible.

**KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Uh… shit, dude, I should have come with you if it was going to be that bad… you look pretty pissed.

**JIN:** That’s because I am. That police officer- that _motherfucker_ \- he was the least professional person I’d ever met. Holy _shit._

**KOTOHIKO:** Uh… why don’t we go back to the clearing, okay? The one with all the pretty flowers? Maybe that’ll calm you down…

**JIN:** Whatever.

_And so, Kotohiko dragged me back over to the flower clearing. Only this time, it wasn’t abandoned._

_Two boys stood in the middle of it, each with a large bunch of flowers in their hands. According to my calculations, these would be the last two students in the class. Thank fucking god, I was starting to get a headache._

_The size difference between the two boys was… frankly ridiculous. The shorter looked like he could only be a couple inches over four foot, while the taller was practically a giant. The shorter boy was wearing a dark blue yukata, with the pattern of the night sky sown into it. It was almost breathtakingly beautiful… clearly, whoever had designed it was highly skilled. His blonde hair curled around his face, and his cheeks looked rosy pink. He sort of reminded me of Taichi, but he definitely held a lot more innocence in his stature._

_The other boy was practically the hulk, built like a brick shithouse. His skin was almost sheet white, and his light brown hair was tied in a loose braid, that fell down to his mid-back. Said braid was decorated by a plethora of flowers stuck into it. He was wearing what looked to be a beekeeper’s outfit without the mask, so his talent wasn’t really that hard to guess._

**BEEKEEPER?:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] You certainly don’t get flowers like these in Japan… See this? This is asphodel. That’s a European flower.

**???:** [Interested; head tilted] Ah, I see! You’re so smart!

**BEEKEEPER?:** [Blushing; smiling gently] No, I’m just doing my job. I have to memorise what flowers will make the best honey, and try to get my hive to collect nectar from them. So botany’s just required knowledge.

**???:** [Excited; finger pointing up] Just like how I have to memorise different types of stitches! I got it!

_I can feel myself getting less angry just by listening to their conversation. This clearing really is a calming place…_

**KOTOHIKO:** [Shouting; hands cupped around mouth] Uh, excuse me! Sorry for interrupting, but my friend Jin hasn’t met you guys yet!

**???:** [Surprised; hands clasped] Oh, a newcomer? What a terrible folly, I must have skipped over him when I greeted everyone before!

**JIN:** Well, I was kind of knocked out for a while…

**BEEKEEPER?:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] Oh, you’re the sleeping kid. That’s right, I remember you.

**JIN:**...My name’s Jin Kirigiri. I’m the Super High School Level Private Investigator.

**MAIKU:** [Bowing] And mine is Maiku! Maiku Saeki, the Super High School Level Seamster! It’s wonderful to meet you, fair Jin!

 

**MAIKU SAEKI - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL SEAMSTER**

_Seamster, huh… that would explain the impressive yukata._

**SADAMU:** [Smiling warmly] And I’m Sadamu Yasuhiro. As you’ve probably guessed, my talent is beekeeping.

 

**SADAMU YASUHIRO - SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL BEEKEEPER**

**KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; clasping hands] And I’m Kotohiko Maizono, Super High School Level-

**KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Sorry, got swept up in all the introductions- forgot you guys already knew me, heheh…

**JIN:** Well, anyway, it’s really nice to meet you guys. You’re probably some of the only sane people I’ve come across.

**KOTOHIKO:** H-hey, does that include me as well?!

**MAIKU:** [Giggling; blushing faintly] Oh, you are quite the charmer! But I understand your sentiments, this class is a little lively. And… occasionally rude.

**SADAMU:** [Deadpan stare] Really, most of the rudeness comes from that stupid poli- I mean, stupid person. Not naming any names.

**JIN:**...You mean Takaaki, right?

**SADAMU:** Yeah. Ishimaru.

**MAIKU:** [Worried, tugging on sleeve] Oh, he’s not… that bad, right! Even if his tongue is awfully foul…

**SADAMU:** [Scowling; hair covering eyes] We have… a history.

_That’s interesting._

**JIN:** Do you mind telling me about-

_But before I could finish my sentence, a crackle rang out through the clearing. It sounded like someone had just turned on an old PA system. And it was almost deafeningly loud._

**???:** Whoopsies! Just a little audio mistake there, kiddos!

_That voice… it was like nothing I’d ever heard before. It almost sounded like a cartoon character, but something about it began to fill me with a terrible dread. I had the sickening feeling that this was somehow related to our kidnappings… but how?_

**???:** Anyways, while I’m here, I might as well make my announcement!

**???:** Could all students of Hope’s Peak’s 58th class please report to the amphitheatre! I repeat, could all students of Hope’s Peak’s 58th class please report to the amphitheatre!

**???:** ‘Cause if you don’t, you’re going to be in a world of hurt!

**???:** Now hurry your butts over here, headmaster’s orders!

_...That couldn’t be good. Headmaster’s orders…? The current headmaster of Hope’s Peak was Kazuo Tengan, and from the interviews I watched that involved him, he sounded nothing like that._

_Still, I don’t really have a choice, do I? And so I found myself walking over to the amphitheatre, Kotohiko and company trailing behind me. Maybe this would help clear up some of the mystery. Maybe was all just some sort of crazy initiation ceremony. Maybe this meant that I could go home. I could only hope._

 

_But little did I know, that hope was about to turn into an all-encompassing despair._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, just so everyone's clear- everyone in Class 58 is a parent of either a SDR2 or a DR1 kid. Here's the rundown if you haven't figured it out yourself:
> 
> Jin Kirigiri: Kyouko Kirigiri  
> Koichi Kizakura: N/A  
> Takaaki Ishimaru: Kiyotaka Ishimaru  
> Taichi Fujisaki: Chihiro Fujisaki  
> Hiroko Hagakure: Yasuhiro Hagakure  
> Hana Hanamura: Teruteru Hanamura  
> Renma Tanaka: Gundham Tanaka  
> Tokiya Souda: Kazuichi Souda  
> Maiku Saeki: Hiyoko Saionji  
> Shizuya Kamoto: Toko Fukawa  
> Minon Yoshihama: Nagito Komaeda  
> Hitomiko Inazuma: Mahiru Koizumi  
> Ruka Tamatsuki: Daiya and Mondo Oowada  
> Kotohiko Maizono: Sayaka Maizono  
> Sadamu Yasuhiro: Taeko Yasuhiro  
> Isana Otaki: Aoi Asahina
> 
> And here's a poll so you can vote for who you think's gonna be the first victim: http://www.strawpoll.me/13442840


	2. PROLOGUE: "5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - Blasting Off Into Despair!" [PART TWO]

_The amphitheatre was packed when we arrived. Most of the people were sitting with the groups I had found them in, while a couple chose to stick to the boundaries, staying around from the main group. I, myself, took a seat not too far away from the stage. It’d be harder to observe whatever was going to be going on if I strayed too far from the centre of the action._

 

_Kotohiko took a seat to my right, glancing over at me with a slight grimace. I could see him nervously tugging with the buttons on the front of his uniform, fingers trying to work up some of the anxious energy he’d built up inside of him. I wanted to comfort him some way, but I wasn’t exactly sure how. I hadn’t really ever been taught how to console someone, especially when I was as nervous as they were._

 

_Once the last few stragglers arrived (Taichi and Shizuya, both sitting as far away from the stage as they physically could), did the real show start. Hidden lights flickered on, bathing the stage area in a light blue glow. Other similarly-disguised machines began to bellow out smoke, and a strange melody blasted through the clearing. It was obvious whoever was pulling this off wanted to make a spectacle._

 

 **???:** Ladies and Gentlebears, please put your paws together for the headmaster of Hope’s Peak!

 

_There was that strange voice again. A figure appeared in the smoke, but it seemed far too short to belong to a human. To my side, Kotohiko nervously began clapping. A few others followed suit, their enthusiastic claps ringing out around the amphitheatre._

 

 **???:** Thank you, thank you. And now, without further ado, let me introduce myself! I know you’re all _dying_ to know how you all got into this little mess, _upupupupu_!~

 

_That laugh… something about it made me feel sick to my stomach._

 

_But before I could dwell on that thought, the supposed “headmaster” stepped forth. I finally got a good look at him._

 

_Well, he definitely wasn’t Kazuo Tengan, that was for sure._

 

_What stood before me was nothing more than a teddy bear, presumably an advanced animatronic. It was split in half, colours-wise, one half painted white and the other black. The white side seemed fairly innocent, a plain design of a smiling teddy bear. The black side, on the other hand, was something completely different. A long, jagged smile split the bear’s face open, and a matching red eye glared at us all. I could hear a few people shrieking in surprise._

 

 **???:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Did I surprise you all?

 

 **RENMA:** [Worried; clutching wrist] _D-demon!_

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Screaming; face distorted] _WHAT THE FUCK IS THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!_

 

 **TAICHI:** [Shocked; tugging at hair] G-get it away! I-I didn’t know the government was this twisted!

 

 **???:** [Dejected; looking at floor] Aww, you guys are so rude! And after I put on this grand entrance and everything…

 

 **???:** I might not even tell you rude kids where you all are…

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Panicked; tugging on collar] N-no, please tell us where we are!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Writing on notepad] That would be quite useful information.

 

 **???:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] Upupupu!~ You really think you can get out of here?

 

 **???:** [Displaying white side] But fine, I’ll be nice and tell you bastards where we are!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] ...Finally.

 

 **???:** [Neutral] But first, you’ll have to listen to my introduction!

 

 **???:** [Displaying black side] I’m the mascot of this entire series, after all!

 

 **MONOKUMA?:** [Angry; throwing arms up] You spoilt kids get pages and pages devoted to your introductions, and poor old Monokuma gets nothing!

 

 **MINON:** [Disturbed; nibbling on fingers] This… is… so weird…

 

 **MONOKUMA?:** You’re telling me! I’ve never seen this much disrespect from a group of students in my entire life!

 

 **MONOKUMA?:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] You could almost say it's… _un_ **_bear_ ** _able!_

 

 **MONOKUMA?:** [Belly laughter] Puhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu!~

 

 **HIROKO:** [Pissed off; middle finger raised] Can you just get to the fuckin’ point already before I beat your face in, you freaky build-a-bear reject?!

 

 **MONOKUMA?:** [Blushing; sweat dripping down face] That murderous passion… Hiroko, you’re a girl after my own heart!

 

 **HIROKO:** [Sickly; face turning green] ...I think I’m going to throw up.

 

 **MONOKUMA?:** [Displaying white side] However, you should save that passion for later! It’s no use wasting it all now!

 

 **MONOKUMA?:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] Or else I'mma gut ya! These bad boys aren’t just for show, y’know?!

 

 **RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] Just shut up already and tell us what the fuck’s going on!

 

 **MONOKUMA?:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Huh? Shut up _and_ tell you what’s going on? I can’t do both!

 

 **RUKA:** You know what I mean!

 

 **MONOKUMA?:** Fine, fine…

 

 **MONOKUMA?:** [Angry; throwing arms up] Alright, listen up schmucks, because I’m not going to repeat myself!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] The name’s Monokuma, headmaster of Hope’s Peak Academy, and the sole organiser of your little excursion!

 

_The entire group burst into angered shouts, their cries melting together into a jumbled mess of confused accusations. Monokuma simply giggled, swaying on the spot and watching us all make fools of ourselves. I had to stop this before the crowd tore themselves apart… or something worse happened._

 

 **JIN:** No, that’s wrong!

 

_My cry cut through the cacophony, startling most of the group into silence. I glared at Monokuma, standing up from my seat. He looked up at me with confusion._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Huh? Do you doubt lil’ ol’ me?

 

 **JIN:** I know you’re not the headmaster. The headmaster of Hope’s Peak is Kazuo Tengan. You are… definitely _not_ Mr. Tengan.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] Hey, you’re right… I remember researching him!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** But if Monokuma isn’t the headmaster, then…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; looking at floor] Aww, I really thought that’d fool ya!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** I’m used to that working…

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Blank stare] ...Who in their right mind would ever get fooled by that?

 

 **MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on sleeve] Ah, yes, I didn’t believe him for a second… obviously. Er.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** If you guys are really insistent on ruining all my fun…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] Then I suppose I’ll tell you the truth. I’m actually from the government.

 

_...What?_

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching jaw] Us Monokuma units are built for combat and stealth in the Japanese army, as well as for special programs like this! You should feel lucky-

 

 **???:** _I KNEW IT!_

 

_A shout rang out through the amphitheatre, raw and full of deep-seated hatred. Before anyone could react, a figure came barreling through the crowd, and leaped onto Monokuma, tackling him to the ground._

 

_It was Taichi._

 

_He moved frantically, attempting to tear Monokuma to pieces with his bare hands. A couple members of the group leapt forward to try and drag him away, especially when Monokuma cried out with anger. Hiroko gripped Taichi’s shoulders tightly, Sadamu reaching for his legs to try and pull him off._

 

_But neither of them could have predicted what would happen next._

 

_The sound was the worst part. A horrible, meaty squelch as Monokuma’s claws pierced through Taichi’s midsection. Taichi’s desperate scramble to dismember Monokuma stopped as he stared down at himself with horror, as a deep red stain slowly spread across the back of his shirt. The claws retracted with a metallic ‘shhnk’, and Taichi collapsed on the floor, clutching at his stomach wound._

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Screaming; face distorted] _HOLY SHIT!_

_Tokiya turned away, shivering somewhat and covering his eyes with his hands._

 

 **SADAMU:** [Shocked; gripping collar] N-no!

 

 **MAIKU:** [Covering eyes with sleeves] I-I can’t look, I can’t look!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest] T-Taichi!

 

 **HIROKO:** [Horrified; face blank] Y...you fucking _monster_.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Wha-wha-what? You guys think he’s dead?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] Upupupu! That’s adorable!

 

 **RENMA:** [Troubled; clutching wrist] Are… are you implying that he’s some sort of immortal being?

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Confused; scratching cheek] …”He”?

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Annoyed; face-palming] Aw, man! Aight, I gotta get better eyes. Damn it, and I was sorta into him too!  
  


**TOKIYA:** [Stressed; tugging on hair curl] Waitwaitwait, does that make me gay?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing] That’s all you care about?!

 

 **ISANA:** [Petrified; fingers gripping cheeks] T-this is so messed up! I wanna go home!

 

 **KOICHI:** [Panicked; clutching shoulders] E-everybody! I have a first aid badge!

 

 **TAICHI:** [Clutching bloody stomach] Ghhk…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Nurse outfit] I won’t let any students die by my hand!

 

 **HANA:** [Furious; glaring] Y-you just did! Don’t you go lyin’ to me!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** He’s gonna be fine! This was just a warning, after all! Upupupu!~

 

 **MONOKUMA:** With a snap of my fingers, he’ll be healed!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Nurse outfit; snapping fingers] Ta-da!

 

_And just as he said, the blood bleeding slowly stopped. Taichi sat up, dazed, but otherwise in perfect health._

 

_What the fuck._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Showing white side] Isn’t technology wonderful?

 

 **RENMA:** [Horrified; nails biting into wrist] _WHAT DARK SORCERY IS THIS?!_

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] I just told you, it’s technology, not sorcery! Quit living in the dark ages!

 

 **JIN:** But that’s… impossible. It’s impossible! Taichi should- should be _dead._

 

_There's no way he could have healed that fast. Not even with the best medical technology on earth._

 

 **TAICHI:** [In shock] ...Yeah.

 

 **RUKA:** [Confused; holding neck] Maybe it’s… a prank?

 

 **HIROKO:** [Pissed off; middle finger raised] That’s fucked up! Pranks don’t work like that!

 

 **SADAMU:** [Scowling; hair covering eyes] ...It’s not a prank. I saw the claws go right through him.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** I’m telling you schmucks the truth! It’s not a prank, it’s science!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] If anyone doesn’t believe me, I can give another demonstration!

 

 **HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] T-that’s not necessary!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Thinking; clutching cravat] …

 

 **SHIZUYA:** If it’s really “just science” then explain. Now.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Nervous sweating] I-Is this fear? Am I afraid?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Belly laughing] Puhuhuhuhuhuhu, of course I’m not! You can’t touch me!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] But if you really gotta know, it’s my nanobots!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] Nanobots?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Whaaaaat? You don’t know about nanobots?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** I guess they are a pretty classified invention…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] Puhuhu! Just like us Monokumas!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Showing white side] Basically, nanobots are tiny robots littering the air! A whole million billion of my baby brothers!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** They can heal you up in seconds… so long as your injury isn’t caused by me or another classmate. They don’t bother with that.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Of course, Taichi was healed, but only because that was a warning for you all!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] But I’m not gonna make an exception again! Violence against the government is strictly prohibited! It’s borderline treason!

 

 **MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on sleeve] But… er, sir Monokuma… what would happen if someone used deadly force against another classmate?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] I’m getting to that! Don’t rush me!

 

 **MAIKU:** [Covering eyes with sleeves] Yes, sir!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Pissed; neutral position] Kids these days…  

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] Anyway, anyway…

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] By god, just get on with it. I have a dinner reservation for tonight at _Joël Robuchon_ , so we better get out of this mess soon.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] Ah, the height of French cuisine…

 

 **SADAMU:** [Smiling warmly] _J'espère qu'un cafard crache dans votre repas._

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Scowling; staring down nose] I review the food, not the language.

 

 **SADAMU:** _C'est bon, maintenant j'ai une façon de vous appeler une chienne derrière votre dos._

 

 **SHIZUYA:**...Whatever.

 

 **ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] Huh… I understood like… _one_ of those words.

 

 **MAIKU:** [Interested; head tilted] Hmm… _Je ne connais pas beaucoup de français, mais je connais une insulte quand j'entends un._

 

 **SADAMU:** _Votre français est très bon pour un débutant, mon ami. Je sais que je n'étais pas trop agréable, mais elle ne l'était pas non plus._

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Impressed] Woah, you guys know french! That’s like the language of sex, right?

 

 **SADAMU AND MAIKU:** _La langue de l'amour._

 

 **MINON:** [Sarcastic; eyebrow raised] ...Why are we doing this…?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] The lady’s right, y’know! If you want me to tell you anything, stop interrupting me!

 

 **SADAMU:** [Apologetic; hands loosely clasped] ...My apologies.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; looking at floor] Can I start again? This whole introduction’s been a real mess…

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Angry; pointing] Just tell us where we are!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] Fine, fine…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] Welcome to the Zetsuuchu Biodome Station!

 

_...What?_

 

 **JIN:**...Zetsuuchu? Biodomes?

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] That’s definitely an interesting name.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] But what the _fuck_ does that mean?!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Well, Zetsuuchu’s a little splice-up of ‘despair’ and ‘universe’. Just something I- er, my _government branch,_ whipped up on the go.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** And biodome station is what it is! A group of biodomes, housed on a space station!

 

_Hey. What the fuck._

 

 **JIN:** ...I think I misheard you. You’re telling me we’re in _space?!_

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] Uh-huh! Why else do you think the government’s involved- no regular people could get you up here!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest] No- I’m not going to believe this! It’s impossible! It’s impossible!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Hmmm… you’re right. It’s about as possible as a talking bear!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Oh wait...

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Newsflash, bastard, they’re both happening right now!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Eyebrow raised] ...Prove it.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Hesitant; biting finger] After what happened to Taichi… I’m not sure that’s a wise thing to say.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] Nah, nah, it’s fine. I won’t jettison you into space.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Blushing; sweat dripping down face] At least, not unless you’re into that!

 

 **TAKAAKI:**...Why would I be into that. That’s not even a common kink.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Hey, hey, let’s not kinkshame our audience!

 

 **RUKA:** Wait, what audie-

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Nope! Shh, shh, shh! I’m not gonna get interrupted again!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] So… as far as proving myself goes…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Happy; holding belly] Ta-da!~

 

_All of a sudden, everything went dark. A few panicked shouts rang out through the crowd, until our eyes adjusted to the darkness… and then we looked up._

 

_I… I had never seen anything like it before. I’d been stargazing once on a field trip back in middle school- but even then, looking through the cheap telescope the teacher had provided us with, it was nothing like this. It looked like someone had just ripped away the Earth’s atmosphere and left us with only the void to gaze out onto. Thousands of stars twinkled, each one of them glowing brightly against the dark nothingness that surrounded them. But the most astonishing thing was the planet, which dominated the majority of the sky._

 

_It definitely wasn’t earth. It was cream-coloured, and it seemed to swirl with endless storms. My first guess would be Venus, or maybe Saturn… that was, if we were even in the same solar system anymore._

 

_It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen._

 

_And then there was a flash of blinding light, and the sky turned blue again._

 

 **HANA:** [Astonished; starry-eyed] ...I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto.

 

 **RENMA:** [Smirking; arms crossed] Do not be foolish, “dear” Hana, Kansas is a location in the Americas. Perhaps you were referring to the Kanto region?

 

 **HANA:** [Awkward; combing hand through hair] Er… no, sweetie, that wasn’t what I was referrin’ to- see there’s a movie called-

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Annoyed; face-palming] You got the wrong place anyway! If we’re talking about space, it’s Houston, not Kansas!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] Kansas-shmansus! What matters is that we’re in space, chucklefucks!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Happy; holding belly] A bear never lies!

 

 **JIN:** This is… I…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Belly laughing] Whoopee! I didn’t know I’d leave someone speechless!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] You’d think for a Super High School Level P.I., you’d have more to say! Guess not!

 

_He’s right. I am speechless._

_  
_ _But there’s something I just_ **_have_ ** _to ask…_

 

 **JIN:** Actually… I do have something to say.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] What is it? Out with it, buckaroo!

 

 **JIN:** Why did you bring us here. That’s still something I haven’t been able to figure out. Why kidnap us?! As far as I know, we weren’t posing any threat to the government…

 

 **TAICHI:** [Guilty; looking to the side] …

 

_Well, maybe apart from him._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Good question!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** And the truth is…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] I don’t know.

 

 **JIN:** You… don’t _know?!_

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Pissed; neutral position] I told you, bears never lie. I’m just a government operative, even I don’t get all the classified information!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] My orders are just’ta lead this killing game and make kebabs outta anyone who tries to stop me!

 

_Wait… what was that?!_

 

 **JIN:** Killing game…?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest] …!

 

 **KOICHI:** [Panicked; clutching shoulders] I-Is that, by any chance, just a metaphorical name?

 

 **ISANA:** [Blowing whistle] Fweeet!

 

 **ISANA:** [Hand out in “halt” gesture] I won’t allow any dangerous games over here! Not without proper safety equipment!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Nnngh… you’re just begging to be the first victim, aren’t’cha?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Head tilted; paw touching mouth] Does that mean I’d have to execute myself?

 

 **ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] E-execution?!

 

 **ISANA:** [Crying; tugging on ponytails] I don’t wanna diiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] You really are an idiot! I said I’d execute myself, not you!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** And before any of you guys ask stupid shit like: “Oh, Mista’ Monokuma, why in the heavens are ya talkin’ ‘bout execution!”, I’ll explain in a minute!

 

 **HANA:** [Put out; hands on hips] Was that meant'a be an impression a’ me?!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] Pretty good, right?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Upupupupupu!~

 

 **HANA:** It was rubbish, but I ain’t gonna stall on it. Just tell us what’s goin’ on ‘fore I blow a casket!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] Gotcha, pumpkin.

 

 **HANA:** [Disgusted; hand covering mouth] P-pumkin’?!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** The whole reason you guys have been gathered to this station is because of the killing game! Hope’s Peak’s very first, though obviously not the first in the world.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Neutral; arms crossed] So… what are the rules of this… “killing game”?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] Oh, the rules are my favourite part!~

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] The game runs around a trial system! You kill someone, you get out of this mess! Congrats! But you can only do that if you don’t get found out in the trials held after each murder!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Think a courtroom drama gone grizzy!

 

_This is insane._

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Panicked; tugging on collar] So… what happens if the killer _does_ get caught?!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] Then it’s punishment time! They get executed! On the other hand, if everyone votes wrong, they get executed as well! That way it’s fair.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] If we’re going to be fancy, the killer is meant to be called the **blackened,** and the jury the **spotless.** Y’know, cause you have a spotless track record for murder!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Well, most of you do, anyway.

 

 **RENMA:** [Annoyed; arms crossed] Ritual sacrifices are not murder.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** _Suuuuuuuuure_ they’re not.

 

_...That’s probably the least shocking thing I’ve learnt today._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Hesitant; biting finger] ...Metaphorical murders, right? And metaphorical executions? It’s all just a game… and while I normally don’t appreciate such violent camp activities… it’s not real, right?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Pissed off; neutral position] Pfft, as if I’d be _that_ boring. Nope, it’s all real!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Real murders, real executions, and a real-ly adorable bear leading it all!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Angered; pointing] Then it’s going to fail! We’re not going to kill each other!

 

 **SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] _Je ne sais pas, je pourrais tuer le policier._

 

 **MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on sleeve] _Ne plaisantez pas à propos de ça!_

 

 **MONOKUMA:** French shit-talking aside, I have a few tricks up my sleeve that might make you reconsider that statement, paperboy!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Happy; holding belly] But that will all be explained later! For now, you should all focus on settling down in your **permanent** life here in paradise!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] I’ll leave ya with a parting gift before I make my way back to HQ! Everyone, check your pockets!

 

_I saw a few people next to me start turning their pockets inside out, trying to find whatever ‘gift’ Monokuma had left us. Kotohiko even unbuttoned his gakuran to get at a secret pocket inside of it. He… wasn’t wearing a shirt under it._

 

_...Ah._

 

_…_

 

_Focus, Jin._

 

 _I reached inside my own cloak to get to the pockets on my shirt. Sure enough, one of them was occupied… by a strange device I’d never seen before. Kotohiko had pulled out a similar-looking one, as had most of the people around me. I even saw Hiroko reach in between her cleavage to pull one out. And then I immediately wished that I_ **_hadn’t_ ** _seen that._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Don’t ask me how they got there. This isn’t a Q and A session!

 

 **MAIKU:** [Confused; holding strange item] But… what are they? I’ve never seen anything like this before!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Neutral; arms crossed] It’s a PDA, idiot. Or… something like one.

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Excited; eyes sparkling] Duuuude, I don’t know what PDAs you’ve seen, but this one is super fancy! Look at how sleek it is! I bet you could play Zelda on this bitch!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] Who would want to play _Zelda_?! That’s been going on for far too long. Two games… And they're already developing another one. That's going to get tiring quickly.

 

 **MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] I dunno… I bought shares in it… with my luck, it’s gonna keep going ‘til 2020.

 

 **TOKIYA:** Haha, really?! That’s like…

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Confused; scratching face] Hang on… let me do the math.

 

 **MINON:**...29.

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Excited; eyes sparkling] 29 years in the future!

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Looking to the side] Damn, I’d be an old man then…

 

 **MINON:** [Sarcastic; eyebrow raised] ...You’d only be 46.

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Annoyed; face-palming] And that’s old! You seen chicks that age?! Coz _I_ haven’t! Hollywood doesn’t talk about them for a reason! 

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing] You really are a scumbag!

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Defensive; holding hands out] Hey, hey! My manager's words, not mine! Back off, scary-cute lady.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Fake innocence] Mmm... I bet I'd look even cuter with your blood on my face!~

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Screaming; face distorted] Eugh! No! That's freakin' _gross!_

 

_As the three of them continued their bickering, I inspected my “PDA”. It was definitely more fancy than any other I’d seen- and it didn’t seem to come with a stylus. Curious, I pressed the singular button on the side, and the screen flickered to life._

 

_Well, that was nothing like a PDA. It looked somewhat like a computer screen, but somehow even more high-tech. Like something out of a sci-fi movie._

 

_I moved my finger around the screen, in lieu of a proper stylus. To my surprise, it picked up on my finger, and I ended up accidentally clicking on an icon labeled “RULES”. Obviously, this seemed to contain a list of rules pertaining to Monokuma’s killing game._

 

**_ZETSUUCHU BIODOME KILLING GAME_ **

**_RULES AND REGULATIONS_ **

 

 

  1. _Do not attempt to escape your current biodome. This may lead to tragically deadly circumstances. Other biodomes may be unlocked after certain criteria is met._
  2. _Nighttime hours are from 10pm to 7am. Some areas of the biodome may be blocked off then!_
  3. _Sleeping anywhere other than a cabin during nighttime hours will not be tolerated. Feel free to take day naps, however!_
  4. _With minimal restrictions, the participants of the killing game may explore the biodome at their leisure._
  5. _Violence against the gamemaster (that’s me, Monokuma!) is strictly prohibited._
  6. _When a murder occurs, all remaining students must participate in the class trial._
  7. _If the blackened is found guilty during the trial, they will be executed, whilst everyone else walks._
  8. _However, if the blackened gets away with it, everyone else will be executed. The culprit will then be returned safely back to Earth._
  9. _The gamemaster may add any additional rules as he pleases._



 

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] Everyone done oogling at your Monopads?

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] So that’s what they’re called.

 

 **RENMA:** [Troubled; clutching wrist] How do… you turn them on, exactly?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Figure that out yourself!

 

 **TAICHI:** [Protective; cradling Monopad] ...I’m going to strip this for parts.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] You will do no such thing!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] Or do I have’ta stab ya again?

 

 **TAICHI:** …

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] That’s what I thought.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Anyways, this old bear needs some sleep! It’s almost sundown, and I need to catch up on my beauty sleep.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Scowling; staring down nose] No amount of sleep could ever make someone like _you_ beautiful.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; staring at floor] How did you get so rude…?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] I mean… she is the Super High School Level Critic…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** That’s not even a real talent, it’s just being mean…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Turning around] So disrespectful…

 

_And with that, Monokuma sadly walked away. He almost looked sort of pitiful… you know, if he wasn’t trying to kill us._

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Looking to the side] I guess we should go pack it in for tonight… after hearing all that I’m not even hungry.

 

 **MINON:** [Disturbed; nibbling on fingers] Not that there’s even anywhere to get food… I didn’t see any canteen…

 

 **RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] Is he trying to starve us or something?!

 

 **KOICHI:** [Pointing at badge] I know how to forage for edible herbs and roots!

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Annoyed; face-palming] Look, man, I don’t wanna eat dirt…

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Checking Monopad] You won’t have to. Says right here there’s an entrance to an underground eating area and kitchen… it seals off during the night hours.

 

 **MINON:**...How do you know that…?

 

 **TAKAAKI:** I’m looking at the fucking map, dumbass. The entrance's a trap door next to the campfire.

 

 **HANA:** [Proud; crossing arms] Then what’re we waitin’ for?! If there’s a kitchen down there, I can cook y’all up some fine-tastin’ home cooked meals!

 

 **SADAMU:** [Smiling warmly] That’s a great idea, actually. I think once we have a meal in us things will get a lot clearer.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Starry-eyed; drooling] Woah, I can’t wait to try some of the Super High School Level Chef’s food! This is a dream come true!

 

 **HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] I… I prefer ‘Super High School Level Cook’, y’know…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Wiping drool from mouth] Right, right.

 

_We began trudging towards the campfire, eager to have a much-needed dinner. I hadn’t even noticed how starving I was… eating a freshly prepared meal by one of the greatest chefs in the world sounded like heaven._

 

_Sure enough, there was a trap door right next to the fire place. Takaaki pointed it out to us, brushing some dirt off its surface. He pulled it open, revealing a shaft that only contained a half-rusted ladder sticking out the side of one wall. It definitely didn’t look sturdy, but knowing how high-tech everything else was around here, it had probably just been decorated with rust for the aesthetic. The markings didn’t have the natural pattern genuine rusting forms._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Neutral; arms crossed] So… who’s going to go first?

 

 **MINON:** [Thinking; looking at hand] ...You’re the one who wants us to go down. You should go down first.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Well, yeah, but I’m holding it open. You’re the lucky student, you probably don’t have anything to worry about if you go down first.

 

 **MINON:** I… am _not_ doing that.

 

 **HIROKO:** [Pumped; clenching both fists] Both of you, shuddup! I’m going first!

 

_And without further ado, Hiroko took a running leap and cannon-balled down the shoot._

 

_…_

 

_Ouch._

 

 **HIROKO (Voice):** Oh fuck!

 

 **HIROKO (Voice):** D-don’t worry guys, I’m okay! Bit deeper than I expected…

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Conflicted; wincing] She… she’s still alive?

 

 **ISANA:** [Hand out in “halt” gesture] Everyone, get outta the way! I gotta give her first aid!

 

 **KOICHI:** [Pointing at badge] Hey, I’m the one with the first aid badge!

 

_The two of them raced towards the chute, climbing down it- Koichi had a slight disadvantage, however, and ended up behind Isana. That’s probably for the best… he isn’t a lifeguard, after all._

 

_After them, everyone else seemed okay to go down the chute one by one. Eventually, we all made our way down there. What greeted us was quite a pleasant area compared to the dingy atmosphere of the tunnel. It looked like a medieval tavern, just without any windows. Hana hurried towards the door leading to the kitchen, and the rest of us settled down at the largest table in the room. Isana and Koichi had to carry Hiroko to the table, though, as the fall had apparently sprained her ankle._

 

_To be honest, I was expecting much worse._

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] I hope the food is good. I expect many great things from this supposed ‘Super High School Level Chef’.

 

 **RENMA:** [Annoyed; crossing arms] ...Refer to her by her proper title.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Deadpan] I am.

 

 **RENMA:** No you are not! If my “dear” Hana wishes to be called the ‘Cook’, then she _is_ the Cook!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** No matter how much she wants it to be, it’s still not her talent. I have no idea why someone so talented would want to stoop as low as to be called a measly ‘cook’ anyway.

 

 **RENMA:** [Enraged; hands curled into claws] You take that back, curr! Cooking is one of the deadliest dark arts to exist! Even I cannot conquer it!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] _What_ did you just call me?!

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Confused; scratching face] You know, you don’t have to call her ‘dear’ just because she calls you one… unless you’re like a lesbian or something.

 

 **TOKIYA:** Which I mean, power to ya if you are. It's actually kinda hot... 'least my friends think so, anyway. I prefer girls kissin'  _me,_ not each other. 

 

 **RENMA:** [Troubled; clutching wrist] I… am not even sure what that word means. Or why it would be ‘hot’.

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Confused; scratching face] ...You don’t know what lesbians are?

 

 **HIROKO:** [Smirking; eyebrow raised] Oh honey, do I have some things to teach you.

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Excited; eyes sparkling] Orrrrrrrrr, if you wanna try guys, I can dig the goth look. 

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing] You’re so gross! So super gross!

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Thinking; scratching face] Eh... you're probably right. I don't really wanna know what kinky shit her cult gets up to when nobody's looking. 

 

 **HIROKO:** [Pissed off; middle finger raised] Heh! Probably slicing dicks off of loser virgins like you! You know... maybe I should start taking that up myself. 

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Horrified; clutching crotch] Y-you wouldn’t _dare!_ Besides, I get laid! I get lotsa chicks! It's just all of you who don't get my charm!

 

 **HIROKO:** What, being a whiny straight boy? What's so appealing about that, exactly? 

 

 **TOKIYA:** You're a lesbian, right? So your opinion doesn't count. You're not even attracted to dudes!

 

 **MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging sleeve] Er, lesbians aside… I’ve been meaning to ask you something, sir Sadamu.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Smiling warmly] What is it… _sir_ Maiku?

 

 **MAIKU:** [Giggling; blushing faintly] Heheh… well, I was wondering where you learnt French? You’re very fluent!

 

 **SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] Well… I’m actually half French. My mother was born there.

 

 **SADAMU:** She was very adamant about teaching me the language.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Smiling warmly] Sometimes I sing in French to my hive. They seem to like it.

 

 **ISANA:** [Smilight brightly; hands on hips] That’s so cute!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Noncommittal; shrugging shoulders] Not really.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Scowling; hair covering eyes] …

 

 **SADAMU:** Excuse me, I’m going to check on the food.

 

_Sadamu stood up, stiffly walking towards the kitchen._

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Confused; scratching face] Damn, what shit’s going on between you two?

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] That’s classified information.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] Oh! I know!

 

 **TAICHI:** [Accusing; shakily pointing] Y-you would, c-creep!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Pulling out gun] You better shut your fucking mouth right now, kid.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest] Y-yes sir!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Curious; leaning forward] Hey, is that a real gun?

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Obviously not.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Neutral; arms crossed] Our captors must have confiscated my real one.

 

 **JIN:** So you were planning on going to school with a gun?!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] Of course. There _are_ criminals in our class, after all.

 

 **HIROKO:** [Relaxed; peace sign] I prefer the term ‘felon’. ‘S more classy.

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Flirty; biting lip] Heheh… the true criminal here is me… a _smooth_ criminal. Amirite, Maiku?

 

 **MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging sleeves] ...Please don’t talk to me.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** I mean… you were suspected of doping a few months ago.

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Angry; one hand clenched] H-hey! And I was proven innocent!

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Disgruntled; averting eyes] It’s not like I could dope anyway, I’m scared of blood.

 

 **HIROKO:** [Raising eyebrow; smirking] Pfft, some tough guy you are.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Confused; head cocked] What’s so bad about blood?

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Rattled; shaking] I-It’s just creepy, y’know! If someone’s all bloody and shit, it means that they’ve been hurt! And it gets everywhere... and it's so hard to clean... and... and I just... it's- 

 

 **RENMA:** [Annoyed; arms crossed] Yet blood is vital for most sacrifices. What do you use in yours, wine?

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Angry; fist clenched] I don’t _make_ sacrifices because I’m not a fucking _creep_ like you! 

 

 **RENMA:** [Angry; hands curled into claws] Why, you-

 

_But before Renma could finish her threat, the door to the kitchen burst open. Sadamu stepped out, struggling to carry a huge amount of heavy dishes to the table. Hana waddled out behind him, grinning proudly and carrying a plate almost half her size. All these plates were covered in steel food covers, no doubt hiding a plentiful array of home cooked goods underneath them._

 

_...How did she cook all that so fast?!_

 

 **HANA:** [Proud; carrying dish] Dinner is served, y’all! Feel free t’help y’rself!

 

_Sadamu set the dishes down on the table, wiping some sweat from his brow._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Mouth watering] These smell delicious, Hana!

 

 **RENMA:** [In awe] Truly… these are divine…

 

 **HANA:** [Shy; hands over heart] Aw shucks, y’all flatter me too much!

 

 _The conversation slowly died out after a few more scattered compliments, all of us too busy cramming food down our throats to say much. This really_ **_was_ ** _good- nice, simple dishes that looked like what a mother would cook. Not that I would know, my mother was far too occupied working cases to cook for us. The most I ever got out of her was the keen knowledge of which takeaway places made the best ramen._

 

 **ISANA:** [Mouth full] Ish r’lly good!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] Don’t talk with your mouth full.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Resigned sigh] But yes, the food is impeccable. I really can’t place anything wrong… and not for lack of trying.

 

 **HANA:** That’s wonderful ta hear, darlin’. Just some simple home recipies my mamma taught me!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] Don’t ever call me ‘darling’ again.

 

 **HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] Er… yes, ma’-

 

 **KOICHI:** [Shouting] She means Miss Kamoto! Not ma’am, of course, you’re too young for that!

 

 **HANA:** [Awkward; combing hands through hair] ...What?

 

 **KOICHI:** [Awkward; half-smiling] ...Just go with it.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] That’s much better, Miss Hanamura. Now, seeing as I’ve finished my meal, I will be taking my leave.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Back turned] 5 star meal, Miss Hanamura. You should be very grateful I’ve ranked you so high.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Shouting] Er- wait! Don’t go yet, Miss Kamoto!

 

 **SHIZUYA:**...Why not?

 

 **KOICHI:** [Awkward; half-smiling] Well… I noticed something while I was investigating the camp. I think everyone should know… so we can work it out.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] ...What happened?

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Neutral; arms crossed] I think I know where this is going.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Neutral] Well, you see, I was checking out the cabins, and I noticed there were only eight. Naturally, you can see how that doesn’t add up.

 

_He’s right… there are eight cabins and sixteen campers. And seeing as we all have to sleep in one, I assume Monokuma wants us to share them…_

 

 **JIN:** So you’re proposing we decide who’s going to room with who?

 

 **TAICHI:** [Cowering; clutching head] I-I don’t want to room with anyone! Y-you’re all working for M-monokuma!

 

 **RUKA:** [Neutral] Well, you’re going to have to room with somebody… there’s probably only two beds per cabin.

 

 **RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] ...It would be so much easier if we were just given premade sleeping arrangements.

 

 **KOICHI:** I thought he might have organised something like that, but instead the cabins all had blank nameplates, with markers next to them… I think we’re supposed to design our own.

 

 **MAIKU:** [Interested; head tilted] Well, I don’t really see the problem. I’d love to room with Sadamu!

 

 **SADAMU:** [Smiling warmly] As would I, _mon ami._

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] I don’t want to room with _anyone._

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Angry; pointing] There’s no other option, so just co-operate already!

 

 **KOICHI:** [Mischievous; winking] I knew this was going to happen… that’s why I already came up with a solution!

 

 **JIN:** What do you mean?

 

 **KOICHI:** [Taking off hat] Ta-da! Inside my hat are several different coloured buttons! I always keep sowing equipment on hand in case I need it for an emergency. A scout must always be prepared!

 

 **KOICHI:** There are two of each coloured button. So we can draw for our roommates- or, as I like to call them, buddies! People with matching coloured buttons match up and room with each other!

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Excited; eyes sparkling] So I might end up with a hot chick?

 

 **KOICHI:**...I guess? I kinda trust everyone here not to do anything inappropriate with other campers.

 

 **TAICHI:** M-Monokuma’s probably w-watching us a-anyway, so keep it in your p-pants, you creep.

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Horrified; clutching crotch] Oh man, major boner killer!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] I think your plan is excellent, Koichi!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Hey Jin, we might end up as buddies!

 

 **JIN:** It’s a pretty slim chance.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** But still better than nothing! I’m drawing first!

 

_Kotohiko walked towards Koichi, digging around in his hat until he produced a bright blue button. He showed it to me, and winked._

 

 **ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] Ooo! Me next!

 

_Isana bounced over, producing a dull red button. One by one, the other students reached into claim their button. Some people looked happy with their matches, like Takaaki and Ruka, and others positively disgusted… like Shizuya and Tokiya. Shizuya looked like she was about to burst a blood vessel. Unfortunately, Hitomiko ended up pulling the blue button before me. Kotohiko looked devastated._

 

_I myself drew a pastel green button. Which was odd- in my observations, I hadn’t seen a single person pull a button that looked like mine. Maybe I missed someone?_

 

 **KOICHI:** [Reaching into hat] And now it’s time for me to draw! I mean, even though there’s only one button left…

 

 **KOICHI:** [Holding up pastel green button] Ah, Jin, look! We’re buddies!

 

 **JIN:**...Alright.

 

_Well, it could have been worse._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Putting hat back on] You don’t seem too thrilled.

 

 **JIN:** I just… don’t know you.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Smiling; eyes closed] And that’s why we have the buddy system! To get to know each other!

 

 **KOICHI:** [Awkward; half-smiling] And to not get killed by Monokuma. That’s a pretty important part of the system too.

 

 **JIN:** I’m looking forward to it. Can we get out of here? I’m actually kind of tired.

 

 _And I definitely don’t want to hear any more talk about buddy systems. For some reason, Koichi’s happy-go-lucky attitude is wearing on my nerves, and I’ve only been talking to him for a few seconds. I know it’s not his fault, he’s just trying to make the best of a situation, but… something feels off about him. Like he’s_ **_too_ ** _happy. Maybe it’s just that he seems so prepared, what with the buttons and all. Or maybe I’m just being a paranoid grouch._

 

 _Whatever the case, Koichi simply nodded and started climbing up the ladder again. I followed after, and the two of us walked back to our cabin in silence. It was there I saw exactly_ **_how_ ** _prepared Koichi had been for this situation- he’d drawn different coloured buttons on the nameplates outside each cabin. Weird._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Neutral] Well, here’s our cabin. Mint Button cabin, neighbours to Violet Button cabin and Crimson Button cabin!

 

 **KOICHI:** [Embarrassed; covering face with hat] I… may have gotten a bit carried away with all the names and stuff.

 

 **JIN:** Maybe.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Neutral] So, I know you said you were tired, but do you want to do some trust exercises? My buddy system is more than just a roommate situation- I mean, I figured if we all grouped up into smaller groups, it’s less likely for a murder to happen!

 

 **JIN:** That’s… actually really smart. If someone tries to kill someone, they’re going to have to deal with two people instead of one.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Smiling; eyes closed] Yup!

 

_We entered our cabin, and I immediately made a Beeline for my bed. They weren’t bunks like I had expected, but instead two singles pressed flush against opposite walls. That was far more comfortable. I kicked off my shoes, leaving them by the foot of my bed, and unclipped my cape. No use taking the rest off, it would be kind of uncomfortable to sleep naked in a room with a stranger._

 

_Come to think of it, would I have to stay in the same clothes the entire time we were trapped here? That’s a bit troubling… but it’s a worry for tomorrow. Right now, all I want to do is rest._

_At least the beds are comfortable._

* * *

**MONOKUMA THEATRE**

**MONOKUMA:** I’ve never quite wrapped my head around the idea of a ‘fanfiction’.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Imagine devoting your entire life just to writing stories about some dumb character that died before a game even started, and not even earn any money for it.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** You’d have to be complete a loser to do that!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Unless the character happens to be me, of course. I think that’s perfectly acceptable.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Because stories with me in it always end with despair!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** And if they don’t, I have grounds to sue for defamation of character!

* * *

 

**PROLOGUE - END**

**“5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - BLASTING OFF INTO DESPAIR”**

**16 STUDENTS REMAINING**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a poll for who you want Jin to spend his FTEs with! 
> 
> https://goo.gl/forms/nSiofTBXid0G5qVN2


	3. FILLER CHAPTER - CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS AND STATS

**Jin Kirigiri**

  * **Name:** Jin Kirigiri (霧切 仁 _Kirigiri Jin_ )


  * **Talent:** Super High School Level Private Investigator (超高校級の「私立探偵」 _chō kōkō kyū no “shiritsu tantei”_ )


  * **Height:** 5’10” (178 cm)


  * **Weight:** 126 lbs (57 kg)


  * **Blood Type:** B+


  * **Birth Date:** 30th of June (Cancer)


  * **Likes:** Tweed Fabric, Violin Lessons, Privacy


  * **Dislikes:** His Father, Hairdressers, Basil



Jin Kirigiri is of slightly lanky build, a few inches taller than average. His limbs are quite bony, as he hasn’t put many hours exercising muscles that aren’t his brain. His cheekbones are very sharp, making his face look extremely angular. His hair is growing longer than he normally likes, shaggy and unkempt. He hasn’t had a chance to have it cut since before his last case- a case that took around three months. It’s dark purple in hue- natural- and a small ahoge sticks up from the rest. His eyes are light purple, and quite narrow in shape. He’s dressed in a strange, shabby outfit that he sewed himself a couple years ago. A ratty, green tweed cape wraps around his shoulders, going down to his waist. It’s got the insignia of his investigative agency stitched onto it. His pants are the same colour and pattern as his cape, and he wears brown combat boots. The cape has several pockets sewn into the inside lining. A pocketwatch hangs out of one of his pants pockets. He is extremely pale. His voice is calm and clipped, although he rarely speaks without heavy deliberation.

 

**Kotohiko Maizono**

  * ****Name:**** Kotohiko Maizono (舞園 言彦 _Maizono Kotohiko_ )


  * **Talent:** Super High School Level Tabloid Author (超高校級の「タブロイド作家」 _chō kōkō kyū no “taburoido sakka”_ )


  * **Height:** 5’4” (162.5 cm)


  * **Weight:** 133 lbs (60 kg)


  * **Blood Type:** A+


  * **Birth Date:** 8th of May (Taurus)


  * **Likes:** Gossip, Freedom of the Press, Rainy Mornings


  * **Dislikes:** Restraining Orders, Calligraphy Ink, Ladybugs



Kotohiko is a short boy with a thin build, although it’s not too lanky. He fills out his frame quite well. His face is heart shaped, with rosy full cheeks, and bright blue eyes. His hair is dark blue, and has an electric blue streak dyed into his fringe. The hair is well-groomed, and is of medium length for a boy. Kotohiko wears a black gakuran, standard for most Japanese high schoolers, although it has been very slightly altered. One of these alterations is the golden patches on the shoulders, and golden clasps holding the gakuran together instead of buttons. Kotohiko wears a black studded belt with pockets attached to it, in which he stores notebooks and writing equipment. On his chest, he has pinned his latest article to his gakuran. Kotohiko wears bright red sneakers. He’s fairly pale. His voice is high-pitched and is prone to cracking when he gets too excited.

 

**Koichi Kizakura**

  * ****Name:**** Koichi Kizakura (黄桜 公一 _Kizakura Koichi_ )


  * **Talent:** Super High School Level Boy Scout (超高校級の「ボーイスカウト」 _chō kōkō kyū no “bōisukauto”_ )


  * **Height:** 5’6” (168 cm)


  * **Weight:** 135 lbs (61 kg)


  * **Blood Type:** AB-


  * **Birth Date:** 29th of September (Libra)


  * **Likes:** Campfire Songs, Summer Weather, Fedoras


  * **Dislikes:** Alcoholic Beverages, Swimming Pools, Long Nails



Koichi Kizakura is a slightly short boy, with an average build. He’s quite athletic, but he doesn’t train for it, and such his muscles are not overly developed. His sandy blonde hair goes down to his shoulders, a small portion of it braided. Smatters of freckles dot his cheeks. His eyes are very slightly drooped down at the corners, and are dull blue in colour. He wears a typical scout uniform, dyed with the colours of his camp. His shirt is short-sleeved and cream-coloured, and he wears a bright orange ascot around his collar. Utop his head sits a dark brown campaign hat, and around his torso is slung a sash. This sash is brown as well, but is almost completely covered by multi-coloured badges. Koichi is wearing light brown shorts and grey sneakers, as well as white socks that go up to his knees. He is slightly tanned. His voice is enthusiastic and chipper, but not overly high-pitched.

 

**Shizuya Kamoto**

  * ****Name:**** Shizuya Kamoto (家本 静耶 _Kamoto Shizuya_ )


  * **Talent:** Super High School Level Critic (超高校級の「評論家」 _chō kōkō kyū no “hy_ _ōronka_ _”_ )


  * **Height:** 5’3” (160 cm)


  * **Weight:** 117 lbs (53 kg)


  * **Blood Type:** O-


  * **Birth Date:** 27th of January (Aquarius)


  * **Likes:** Michelin-Starred Restaurants, Dark Eyeshadow, Hairless Cats


  * **Dislikes:** Hotel Staff, DIY Magazines, Anything That Doesn't Reach Her Standards



Shizuya is a short girl with a sharp frame. Her face is surprisingly soft and circular, however, except for her nose- which is pointed and sticks up in the air. Her dull purple eyes are perpetually narrowed and lined with an enormous amount of grey eyeshadow and black eyeliner. She has one mole on her right cheek, directly below her eye. Shizuya’s hair is purplish grey, and comes down in a bob cut, cutting short right before her shoulders. She’s wearing a deep purple blazer and pencil skirt combo. Her blazer is kitted out with shoulder pads that make her frame look threatening and sharp. Around her neck she wears a light orange cravat, which match her similarly-coloured heels. On her left breast she pinned a single star pin. Her skin is dull and pale. Her voice is deep for a girl’s, and she speaks in an authoritarian tone.

 

**Hiroko Hagakure**

  * **Name:** Hiroko Hagakure (葉隠 浩子 _Hagakure Hiroko_ )


  * **Talent:** Super High School Level Girl Gang Leader (超高校級の「助番」 _chō kōkō kyū no “sukeban”_ )


  * **Height:** 5’7” (170 cm)


  * **Weight:** 150 lbs (68 kg)


  * **Blood Type:** A-


  * **Birth Date:** 5th of July (Cancer)


  * **Likes:** Cigarettes, Alcohol, Pearl Necklaces


  * **Dislikes:** Cowards, Organized Martial Arts, School Uniforms



Hiroko is a well-built girl with finely developed muscles after years of fighting. She’s taller than most girls, and has a oval-shaped face. Her eyes are almond-shaped and light brown. Half of her hair is shaved away, and the other half is long and reaches her thighs. That half is dyed light pink, although some dark brown roots are showing through. Hiroko wears a white surgeon mask around her neck. She’s dressed in a mid-blue crop top her gang insignia painted on it in white. She also wears revealing grey short-shorts, with dull red sneakers and bracelets. Hiroko is of peachy complexion. She tends to speak lazily, although her voice always carries the undercurrent of a threat.

 

**Taichi Fujisaki**

  * ****Name:**** Taichi Fujisaki (不二咲 太市 _Fujisaki Taichi_ )


  * **Talent:** Super High School Level ??? (超高校級の「???」 _chō kōkō kyū no “???”_ )


  * **Height:** 4’9” (145 cm)


  * **Weight:** 131 lbs (59 kg)


  * **Blood Type:** AB+


  * **Birth Date:** 8th of November (Scorpio)


  * **Likes:** Laptops, Instant Ramen, Checkers


  * **Dislikes:** Frogs, Snakes, Worms



Taichi is a short boy with a stocky build. He’s a quite fat, and his full cheeks make him look even more childlike than normal. He frequently gets mistaken for a girl because of his more feminine physique. His green eyes are wide most of the time out of paranoia, and they require thick-rimmed black glasses for him to see. His ratty brown hair is shaggy and brushes his shoulders. Taichi wears a white shirt with a peter pan collar, with a golden ribbon wrapped around it. He wears checkered brown shorts, which are held up with green suspenders. His shoes are brown flats, with tall white socks. He’s very pale, due to him being a hikikomori. He stutters when he speaks, and his voice is hoarse and feminine.

**Renma Tanaka**

  * ****Name:**** Renma Tanaka (田中 連魔 _Tanaka Renma_ )


  * **Talent:** Super High School Level Cult Leader (超高校級の「カルトリーダー」 _chō kōkō kyū no “karutorīdā”_ )


  * **Height:** 6’5 (195.5 cm)


  * **Weight:** 158 lbs (71.5 kg)


  * **Blood Type:** B-


  * **Birth Date:** 4th of April (Aries)


  * **Likes:** Scented Candles, Silent Movies, Haruspicy


  * **Dislikes:** Large Animals, Modern Technology, Tasseography



Renma is very tall for a girl, and is of boney build. Her limbs, neck and fingers seem a bit too long for her body, giving her a slightly unsettling appearance. She’s naturally pale, but has painted her face white to emphasise her makeup- deep red streaks of face paint come from her eyes, and her lips have been lined with black. Her eyes are hidden by her long, straight fringe, a portion of which has been bleached light grey. The rest of her hair is a darker grey, and goes down to her waist. Renma wears a purple cape, which wraps around her frame and trails behind her on the ground. The cape has a blood-red lining, as well as a stand-up collar. Her shirt underneath is pale purple, and her skirt is full of holes and a grey gradient. Her voice is overblown and deep, and she often shouts. 

 

**Minon Yoshihama**

  * ****Name:**** Minon Yoshihama (吉濱 瑞音 _Yoshihama Minon_ )


  * **Talent:** Super High School Level Lucky Student (超高校級の「幸運」 _chō kōkō kyū no “k_ _ōun_ _”_ )


  * **Height:** 5’8” (173 cm)


  * **Weight:** 114 lbs (56 kg)


  * **Blood Type:** O+


  * **Birth Date:** 30th of December (Capricorn)


  * **Likes:** Daytime TV, Jello Cups, Warm Baths


  * **Dislikes:** Meteor Showers, Scratch-n-Win Tickets, Antiseptic



Minon is a tall girl with a dying body. She is extremely skeletal, bones sticking out everywhere. She reeks slightly of antiseptic and sickness. Her eyes are sunken in, and grey-green in colour. Her hair is a mousy-brown knotted mess, falling down to her mid-back. She wears a ratty, striped green vest, that trails behind her on the floor. The bottom of it is caked with dirt. Underneath she wears a white turtleneck sweater with a strange red symbol drawn on it. She wears a breezy sky-blue skirt that brushes her knees, as well as red flats. Around one of her wrists, she sports a blue hospital bracelet. Her skin is bone grey. She tends to speak very slowly, and her voice is raspy.

 

**Hana Hanamura**

  * ****Name:**** Hana Hanamura (花村 華 _Hanamura Hana_ )


  * **Talent:** Super High School Level Chef (超高校級の「シェフ」 _chō kōkō kyū no “shefu”_ )


  * **Height:** 4’0” (122 cm)


  * **Weight:** 100 lbs (45 kg)


  * **Blood Type:** A-


  * **Birth Date:** 19th of October (Libra)


  * **Likes:** Home-cooked Meals, Miso Soup, Pigs


  * **Dislikes:** Traffic, Fast Food Chains, Chickens



Hana is an extremely short, plump girl. Her fingers are pudgy and short. She has full, rosy cheeks, which squish her narrow black eyes closed. Her nose is a button, and her lips are plush and full. She has dimples when she smiles. Her brown hair is kept in two buns on either side of her head, two locks of hair falling past her face and down to her shoulders. Those buns are decorated with red beads wrapped around them. Hana wears a retro-style red dress, with the skirt of the dress being spotted with white. She wears a grey belt around her waist. Underneath that dress she wears a white dress shirt. She wears grey mary-janes. Her skin is tanned. She speaks in a country accent, and her voice is soft and humble.

 

**Tokiya Souda**

  * ****Name:**** Tokiya Souda (左右田 迅己哉 _Souda Tokiya_ )


  * **Talent:** Super High School Level Bicycle Racer (超高校級の「自転車レーサー」 _chō kōkō kyū no “jitensha rēsā”_ )


  * **Height:** 5’7” (170 cm)


  * **Weight:** 142 lbs (64.5 kg)


  * **Blood Type:** O+


  * **Birth Date:** 2nd of March (Pisces)


  * **Likes:** Betting, Hot Chicks, Shounen Manga


  * **Dislikes:** Blood, Dentists, Dolphins



Tokiya is of average height and muscular build, despite his muscle being built more for speed than strength. His hair is tangled and black, making it look like he has a serious case of helmet hair. He wears thin-rimmed glasses, and his eyes are bright pink. He seems not to have a sense of fashion, as he’s dressed in a skin-tight yellow lycra shirt, a puffy pink parka, and breezy yellow bike shorts (which are baggy instead of skin-tight like the shirt). These shorts are held up by a navy belt, despite not needing it. His sneakers are sleek and black, and he wears white socks. His skin is peach-coloured. Tokiya also sports bright pink braces. His voice is scratchy and high-pitched.

 

**Hitomiko Inazuma**

  * ****Name:**** Hitomiko Inazuma (稲妻 瞳子 _Hitomiko Inazuma_ )


  * **Talent:** Super High School Level War Photographer (超高校級の「戦争写真家」 _chō kōkō kyū no “sensō shashinka”_ )


  * **Height:** 5’5” (165 cm)


  * **Weight:** 132 lbs (60 kg)


  * **Blood Type:** A+


  * **Birth Date:** 6th of August (Leo)


  * **Likes:** Crime Scenes, Injections, Polaroids


  * **Dislikes:** Construction Sites, Passports, Mice



Hitomiko is a slightly short girl with an athletic build. She’s somewhat stocky, and her face is circle-shaped. She has full cheeks, which are dotted with freckles. Her eyes are almond-shaped and bright green, and she has a gap in between her two front teeth. Her hair is bright red and tied into two braids, each with a teal bow wrapped around the bottom of them. She wears a turquoise vest over a white t-shirt, and keeps a small orange backpack on her at all times. She’s also wearing practical jeans, as well as grey boots. Hitomiko’s skin is quite tanned. Her voice isn’t very remarkable, but she whistles when trying to speak too fast due to the gap in her teeth.

 

** Isana Otaki **

  * ****Name:**** Isana Otaki (大滝 勇魚 _Otaki Isana_ )


  * **Talent:** Super High School Level Lifeguard (超高校級の「ライフガード」 _chō kōkō kyū no “raifugādo”_ )


  * **Height:** 5’1” (155 cm)


  * **Weight:** 109 lbs (49.5 kg)


  * **Blood Type:** O-


  * **Birth Date:** 15th of June (Gemini)


  * **Likes:** Sherbert, Anthropology, Mango Sorbet


  * **Dislikes:** Chlorine, Airports, Weak Hairties



Isana is a short but well-built girl. Her muscles are built for swimming, not strength or aesthetics, so they’re not terribly visible but still there. She’s got a very cherubic face, with a large, cute nose and full lips. Her eyes are deep brown, as is her hair. Her naturally curly hair is tied into two bushy ponytails. She wears a striped blue tank top, as well as matching swim trunks. Over that, she wears an open orange hawaiian shirt. She wears pearly white sandals. Isana is Afro-Japanese, and thus her skin is very dark. She speaks in a high-pitched, typical “valley girl” accent, except for when she’s being serious.

 

**Ruka Tamatsuki**

  * ****Name:**** Ruka Tamatsuki (玉槻 琉花 _Tamatsuki Ruka_ )


  * **Talent:** Super High School Level Jeweler (超高校級の「ジュエラー」 _chō kōkō kyū no “juerā”_ )


  * **Height:** 6’1” (185 cm)


  * **Weight:** 201 lbs (91 kg)


  * **Blood Type:** AB-


  * **Birth Date:** 11th of February (Aquarius)


  * **Likes:** Diamonds, Black Comedy, Soap Operas


  * **Dislikes:** Crybabies, Cliffhangers, Graphic Novels



Ruka is a very tall girl, with hidden musculature. On the surface, her figure looks thin and dainty, but she’s surprisingly strong. She’s also a bit pudgy, due to recently being pregnant. Ruka’s face is slightly squared, and she has a strong jawline. Her nose is hooked, and she has light purple almond-shaped eyes. Her black hair is tied back in a pompadour updo slash bun, with a striped purple headband holding it in place. Ruka has thick eyeliner with two flicks going down the bottom of each eye. Ruka wears a princess dress she made herself, which is lavender. The skirt is poofy and multi-layered. Slung around her torso is an empty baby sling, which she normally holds her son in. Ruka also wears white gloves, that go up to her elbows. Ruka is half filipino, and her skin is mid-brown. She speaks in a regular pitch, and her vocabulary switches from crass to refined depending on her mood.

 

**Takaaki Ishimaru**

  * ****Name:**** Takaaki Ishimaru (石丸 高秋 _Ishimaru Takaaki_ )


  * **Talent:** Super High School Level Police Officer (超高校級の「警察官」 _chō kōkō kyū no “keisatsukan”_ )


  * **Height:** 6’2” (188 cm)


  * **Weight:** 175 lbs (73.5 kg)


  * **Blood Type:** B-


  * **Birth Date:** 25th of November (Sagittarius)


  * **Likes:** Full-Strength Coffee, Trenchcoats, Detective Noirs


  * **Dislikes:** Young Children, Therapists, Long Shifts



Takaaki is tall and well-built from years of police training. His face, however, is a sharp contrast to this- it’s gaunt and angular, and his dull red eyes are decorated with heavy, dark bags. His eyebrows are the most striking feature about him- they’re thick, bushy, and almost permanently knotted. Takaaki’s black hair is cropped short, and he has a prominent widow’s peak at the front. Takaaki is wearing a standard police uniform, with a light-blue long sleeve shirt and dark blue dress pants. There is a navy tie secured around his neck, and his shirt has golden epaulettes. On his left breast pocket, he has pinned his police badge. The only thing unusual about his outfit is his boots- they’re knee high and black. He is sickly pale. His voice is slightly deeper than usual, although it cracks when he gets nervous or too tired.

 

**Maiku Saeki**

  * ****Name:**** Maiku Saeki (佐柄木 舞久 _Saeki Maiku_ )


  * **Talent:** Super High School Level Seamster (超高校級の「テーラー」 _chō kōkō kyū no “tērā”_ )


  * **Height:** 4’4” (132 cm)


  * **Weight:** 82 lbs (37 kg)


  * **Blood Type:** B+


  * **Birth Date:** 23rd of August (Virgo)


  * **Likes:** Romantic Comedies, Shakespeare, Cherry-Flavoured Candy


  * **Dislikes:** Thimbles, Realism, Sour Candy



Maiku is an extremely short boy, with a curvy frame. His face is heart-shaped, and he has a small button nose. Maiku’s eyes are light blue and hooded, and his blonde hair curls around his face. Maiku sews all of his clothes, and in the killing game he primarily wears a dark blue yukata, which has stars and galaxies embroidered onto it. His belt is a lighter blue and has a snowflake pattern on it. Maiku also possess yukatas that look like the day, the sunset, and the sunrise. Maiku wears tan sandals. Maiku is half Swiss, and knows French, German, Romansh and Italian, although since he grew up in Japan, he prefers Japanese. Maiku’s skin is pale. He speaks in a dreamy, soft voice.

 

**Sadamu Yasuhiro**

  * ****Name:**** Sadamu Yasuhiro (安広 貞 _Yasuhiro Sadamu_ )


  * **Talent:** Super High School Level Beekeeper (超高校級の「養蜂家」 _chō kōkō kyū no “yōhōka”_ )


  * **Height:** 6’11” (211 cm)


  * **Weight:** 255 lbs (116 kg)


  * **Blood Type:** AB+


  * **Birth Date:** 16th of September (Virgo)


  * **Likes:** Go Fish, Chamomile Tea, Raspberry Jam


  * **Dislikes:** Smokers, Swallowing Pills Dry, Tiramisu



Sadamu is a huge, hulking man with incredible muscle mass and strength. He has a square, chiseled jaw, and a roman nose. His eyes are hazel, and are double-lidded. His face is decorated with a smattering of freckles. Sadamu’s hair is light brown and very long, going down to his waist when it's let out of his braid. Currently, he wears it in a loose braid, which has been decorated with flowers. Two locks of it are brushed in front and frame his face. His hair is very well brushed, and is naturally wavy. Sadamu wears a light yellow beekeeper’s uniform, without the veil or hat. His hands and lower arms are covered in dark grey rubber gloves, and he wears knee-high rubber boots to match. He has a small bee pin on the left of his chest. Sadamu is half French on his mother’s side, and is bilingual. Sadamu’s voice is deep and smooth, almost sensual.


	4. CHAPTER ONE: "A Forest of Lost Souls" [PART ONE]

_The boy shifted his grip on the gun, breath shallow and coming quick. He couldn’t let her know he was here. If she knew, it would be all over- he didn’t have another chance at this. He might even end up dead himself. He dug his teeth into his lower lip, quivering with nervous energy. He’d never had to kill anyone before, despite his… unique circumstances, but this was what everyone had agreed on. It was the only way to restore hope to the world, and ensure it stayed there forever._

 

_The door creaked open, and the boy shifted. He wasn’t even sure how many rounds were in this thing- he should have asked Takaaki when he gave him the damn thing. But it was too late for this now… he could hear her walk into the living room, flicking on the light. A small stream shone through the crack in the closet door, illuminating a portion of the boy’s face. He gulped._

 

_She was just in front of the closet now._

 

_Now she was reaching for the handle._

 

_The boy didn’t know what was louder- the shot that fired from his gun, or the heartbeat thudding through him._

  


**CHAPTER ONE - START**

**“A FOREST OF LOST SOULS” - DAILY LIFE**

 

_I struggled against my bonds, breathing heavily. Kidnapped. Again. And this time, I didn’t think that I’d get out alive…_

 

_My captor walked up to me, his face covered with a strange mask. One half white, one half black… it looked like something out of a cartoon. Like a bear, or something. He leant down at me, sneering, as I felt pure terror rush through my veins-_

 

 **_KIDNAPPER:_ ** _Goooood morning, camper!_

 

_W...what? Camper? But we weren’t at a camp- I was in a basement or… or a cabin. Huh? How’d that change so quickly?!_

 

 **_KIDNAPPER:_ ** _It’s time to rise and shine!_

 

_Suddenly, I felt my bonds snap. A-ha! The perfect time to attack my kidnapper! I locked my hands around his neck in a chokehold, even as he struggled against me. I could win this- as soon as he fell unconscious, I could flee this place, and maybe find my way home. I wouldn’t even have to murder anyone, or have a ridiculous class trial-_

 

 **_KIDNAPPER:_ ** _Hhk-! Jin!_

 

 **KOICHI:** Jin, wake- hkk!

 

 **JIN:** Huh?!

 

_I was looking at Koichi… but wait, where did the kidnapper go? Was Koichi my kidnapper? I felt my grip loosen around his neck, my arms falling back onto my… bed…_

 

_Oh._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Clutching neck; face blue] Hhhhh… you nearly killed me!

 

 **JIN:** I didn’t mean to! I was sleeping!

 

 **KOICHI:** Who strangles people in their sleep?!

 

 **JIN:** I do!

 

 **KOICHI:** W-why do you-?!

 

 **JIN:** I… I had a nightmare, okay… I thought that you were going to kill _me_!

 

 **KOICHI:** [Angry; arms crossed] I would _never_ kill _anyone_!

 

 **JIN:** Well I know that _now!_ You weren’t really… _you_ in my dream.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Sad; clutching arm] Still… kind of insulting that you’d think I’d kill you. I was just trying to wake you up!

 

 **JIN:** Why were you trying to do that? Last time I checked, I was perfectly able to do that on my own.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Saluting] I’m a camp counselor as well as a boy scout! It’s my duty to make sure my fellow campers are awake before 7am!

 

 **JIN:** You’re really devoted to your talent, aren’t you…

 

 **KOICHI:** [Mischievous; winking] Well, I sure hope you’re devoted to yours. We need someone with a good brain to get us out of here, and I’m an idiot.

 

_Now that’s a change from his usual happy-go-lucky attitude._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Pointing to badge] But if you ever need first aid, I’m your man!

  
_Aaaand it’s back again._

 

_I sighed, turning away from Koichi in order to get off my bed. I had sweated through my clothes during the night- gross. Well, there was no use bothering about that if I didn’t have anything to change into. I’d just have to deal with it, and hope my cape trapped the worst of the smell. I ran one hand through my hair, working out a few knots that formed during the night. This morning routine was strangely bland compared to the utterly unusual situation I had been forced into._

 

_I was about to pick my cape off the floor when I felt someone grip my arm. Immediately, my reflexes still not entirely calmed down from my previous nightmare, I whirled around and punched Koichi square in the nose._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Holding bleeding nose] Jin!

 

 **JIN:** God fffff- why did you do that?!

 

 **KOICHI:** I should be asking you that!

 

 **JIN:** Koichi, respectfully, we are in a killing game. Of course my reflexes are going to be… heightened.

 

 **KOICHI:** But you- I’m the only one here!

 

 **JIN:** I literally don’t know anything about you, Koichi. You can’t expect me to trust you.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Sad; nose bleeding] _I_ trust _you…_

 

 **JIN:** And that’s stupid.

 

 **JIN:** I know I’m not going to kill you, but there’s no way for you to know that. I could be lying to you right now.

 

 **KOICHI:** …

 

 **KOICHI:** [Wry smile; nose bleeding] Fair enough.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Shrugging; nose bleeding] I’m still going to trust you, Jin. I told you I have good intuition, I know you’re not going to kill me.

 

 **JIN:** …

 

 **KOICHI:** [Neutral; nose bleeding] To answer your question, I was going to tell you there’s clean clothes in the wardrobe. They weren’t there yesterday, so I guess Monokuma put them in…

 

 **JIN:** So Monokuma can get in here even if the doors are locked, huh?

 

_That’s definitely worrying._

 

_I headed towards the wardrobe closest to my bed, opening it up. Sure enough, clean clothes lined it, the same things I usually wore day-to-day. Oddly enough, the clothes looked to be carbon copies of each other- so I guess I was shit out of luck if I wanted to go swimming. I grabbed a clean pair, looking over my shoulder at Koichi, who winked at me and placed one hand over his eyes._

 

_It was uncomfortable getting changed with someone else in the room, but not uncomfortable enough that I’d miss out on clean clothes. Once I was suitably freshened up, I tapped Koichi’s shoulder to signal that he could open his eyes._

 

_Instead, I got a fist in my face._

 

 **JIN:** What the fuck was that for?!

 

 **KOICHI:** [Winking; nose bleeding] You told me to stay on guard, didn’t you?

 

 **JIN:** I- Wh- I _guess?!_

 

 **KOICHI:** [Wry smile; nose bleeding] You know, maybe if we had done those trust exercises last night, we wouldn’t be so _suspicious_ of each other.

 

 **JIN:** Is this what this is all about? Why you punched me?!

 

 **KOICHI:** Nah, I’m just suggesting something.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Grinning; nose bleeding] Besides, I pulled my punch before it hit you! Like a true sportsman!

 

 **JIN:** It still hurt.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Awkward; nose bleeding] Scratch that- I thought I pulled my punch.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Pointing at badge; nose bleeding] I really am qualified in first aid, you know. Do you want me to have a look at your nose?

 

 **JIN:** No, it’s fine. Can’t be worse that what I did to you.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Neutral; nose bleeding] If you say so…

 

_With that, the conversation stalled. I shuffled my feet awkwardly, and coughed._

 

 **JIN:** So… do you want to go get breakfast?

 

 **KOICHI:** Well, it is a bit early…

 

 **KOICHI:** [Grinning; nose bleeding] But sure!

 

_‘A bit early’... just how early did he mean? I thought I remembered seeing the time on my Monopad… I dug through the pockets of my discarded cape, pulling it out and tapping it on._

 

_6:43 am._

 

_So nighttime hours still weren’t even over, huh?_

 

 **JIN:** You woke me up early.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Saluting; nose bleeding] 6:30 is the best time to wake up and greet the day!

 

 **JIN:**...Whatever you say, Koichi.

 

_I slipped on my shoes, heading out the door. The sun had barely risen on the edge of the biodome- or, rather, something that appeared to be the sun. It was most likely just a projection on a screen rather than the genuine artifact._

 

_I trudged towards the entrance to the mess hall, Koichi following close behind and whistling a vaguely annoying tune. It was probably just a jingle from a commercial or something, but I could feel it gnawing steadily at my patience. It trailed off when we reached the entrance, thankfully, and I kicked some loose dirt away from the mess hall hatch._

 

_I knelt down to open it, my hand gripping the handle and tugging forcefully. It wouldn’t budge._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Peering over; nose bleeding] ...You need a hand?

 

 **JIN:** Y-yeah, it’s not opening.

 

 **KOICHI:** Well, I’m happy to lend a hand. Don’t punch me in the face this time, okay?

 

 **JIN:** That was _one time._

 

_Koichi knelt down beside me, wrapping his hands around mine. I flinched, and actually felt the urge to punch him for that, but restrained myself. There was nothing wrong about two guys trying to pick something up together, and accidentally touching hands in the process. Koichi heaved, tugging as hard as he could, but the hatch still wouldn’t move._

 

_How freakishly strong was Takaaki?! He was able to lift this with one hand!_

 

 **???:** That’s not going to open, you know.

 

_The shock of a sudden voice caused me to jump, the handle slipping from my hands. I toppled backwards with the sudden release of momentum, knocking Koichi over as well. I looked up to see who had startled me, only to be met with the tip of a shoe pressing against my face._

 

 **???:** “Some areas will be blocked off during night-time hours.” It’s only natural to assume that the kitchen would be one of them- after all, that’s where all the knives are kept.

 

_I shoved the shoe off of my face, standing up and glaring at… Shizuya. Of course._

 

_I knew that voice sounded familiar._

 

 **JIN:** That’s flawed logic. Monokuma _wants_ us to murder, he wouldn’t just lock away all the weapons during the only time you’d be able to commit one.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] Well, _maybe_ Monokuma was anticipating us to be a tad more _creative_ in our murders. Makes for a better case.

 

_I brushed the dirt off the back of my pants, sighing. At least this rule would keep us a little bit safer, well, as safe as you can be in a place like thi-_

 

_Before I could finish my thought, a loud cackle rang out through the air, followed by a strange chime._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Goooood morning, everyone!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** It is now 7am, and night-time is officially over!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!

 

_That must be the morning announcement. I feel bad for anyone still sleeping- Monokuma really doesn’t know the first thing about volume control, does he?_

 

 **JIN:** I guess this means we can open the hatch now- Koichi, can you give me a hand?

 

 **KOICHI:** [Saluting; nose bleeding] You got it, Jin!

 

_I kneeled down on the ground next to Koichi, reaching for the handle. But before I could grab it, the hatch burst open, and somebody flung themselves out, whooping triumphantly._

 

 **ISANA:** [Relieved; sweating] Finally! Sweet, sweet freedom!

 

 **JIN:** Wh- Where you _stuck_ down there?!

 

 **KOICHI:** [Nervous; nose bleeding] N-no way! Isana, are you okay?!

 

 **ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] Now I am! I’m freeeeee!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Blank stare] …

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Scowling; staring down nose] I can’t believe someone was so _stupid_ as to be locked up somewhere on the _first night._

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Clearly, I’ve underestimated your abilities.

 

 **ISANA:** When a girl’s gotta eat, a girl’s gotta eat!

 

 **ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] Besides, Monokuma didn’t say anything about the mess hall being locked.

 

 **ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] I’m lucky they had a lot of coffee down there, hehe!

 

 **JIN:** Right… the rules said you can’t sleep down there. Do you need to go back to your cabi-

 

_Unfortunately, Isana never got to hear the rest of my sentence, as she promptly keeled over where she stood. Soon, a loud snoring sound reached my ears, and I sighed._

 

 **JIN:** Well, that’s convenient. If she’d fallen asleep just a few minutes earlier…

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Amused; smirking] Then maybe I’d have one less annoyance to deal with.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Scandalised; nose bleeding] _Miss Shizuya!_

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Blank stare] Oh, please. I’m a critic. Do you honestly think I’m going to be nice to Little Miss Positive over here? It’s not like she can hear me, anyway.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Angry; nose bleeding] She still hasn’t done anything to you. Criticism should be reserved for people who deserve it, you know.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] And in my _humble opinion_ , she _does_ deserve it. We are in a _killing game,_ Kizakura. This isn’t some half-assed camp activity you put on so a gaggle of pre-pubescent shits can learn some camaraderie.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** This is a matter of life and death. And if Otaki can’t think straight long enough to save her own ass, just because she was _hungry…_ then she deserves to be called out on it. She’s never going to learn if weak-willed bastards like _you_ keep coddling her.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Back turned] Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to make sure my _buddy_ hasn’t taken it upon him to masturbate with my spare underwear. I hope you three don’t get killed before sundown- an early murder would just be _boring._

 

_And with that, Shizuya turned and strode away, fists clenched by her side. On further inspection, they seemed to be shaking… whether that was from fear or anger, I couldn’t tell. Maybe even the unshakable Shizuya Kamoto couldn’t handle this game._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Dumbstruck; nose bleeding] I…

 

 **KOICHI:** [Sad; nose bleeding] I’m going to carry Isana back to her dorm. You can go and eat, if you want.

 

_Koichi squatted down, picking up the unconscious Isana bridal-style. He sighed, before effortlessly carrying her back to her dorm. Huh… he’s stronger than I thought he was. Maybe he really was holding back when he punched me._

 

_That’s troubling._

 

_Well, I guess I had the day to myself now… better go down and get some food. It’d be better if I kept up a healthy diet, even though that whole scene with Shizuya had absolutely obliterated my appetite._

 

_My trip down to the mess hall was quick. I ate a few of Hana’s leftovers from last night, avoiding the ones that Isana had obviously tried to inhale. I chose to ignore the numerous puddles of spilled coffee- that wasn’t my mess to clean up. Someone more charitable can deal with it._

 

_After eating, I felt a little bit better… but I still had an entire day to do pretty much nothing but wait for my doom. Now that’s a cheery thought._

 

**FREE TIME: START**

 

_I headed out of the mess hall, knowing that if I waited in there any longer, I’d likely become flooded with a whole gaggle of ravenous teenagers. If I’m going to get any investigative work done, I can’t afford to be swept up in tumultuous world of emotional connection. Still… it would be wise to get an investigative partner, one who knows a whole lot more about this school than I do. Really, there’s only one person fit for the job._

 

_I remembered that Kotohiko had picked up a blue button in Koichi’s little draw. The most likely conclusion is that he’s still in bed- or, after that deafening announcement on behalf of Monokuma, just getting ready to go down here. Either way, he’s probably still in his cabin… a cabin with a blue button drawn on it shouldn’t be too hard to find. I knew it wasn’t one of our neighbours, so that’s three cabins already struck out… only five left to search._

 

_After a little bit of trial and error, I finally found Kotohiko’s cabin- apparently labelled as the “Cerulean Cabin”. It was only a few over from mine, so that was convenient. I was about to knock on the door when it suddenly burst open, and Kotohiko basically tackled me._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] Jin! You came to visit me!

 

 **JIN:** Hhk- yeah. You’re kind of squeezing me to death here.

 

_Kotohiko released me from his hug, chuckling._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Haha, sorry!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; clasping hands] I’m just glad you’re here! I was really bummed when you drew the wrong button…

 

 **JIN:** I told you we only had a slim chance.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] Yeah, I know, but I like to think of myself as an optimist…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] So… do you want to spend some time with me, Jin? We can try to work out this whole mess together!

 

_Spend time with Kotohiko?_

**> > Yes**

No

 

 **JIN:** Why would I come to visit you if I didn’t want to spend time with you?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Haha, true! So… does this make me, like, your investigative partner or something?

 

_I sighed. I wanted to tell Kotohiko that I only worked alone, but something about his enthusiasm… no, Jin, Kotohiko is just a form of information. You can’t afford to get attached to him. This is a killing game, after all… there’s nothing saying that Kotohiko won’t be the first victim._

 

_But still… it can’t hurt to humour him, right?_

 

 **JIN:** Only for today. When a real murder happens, you’ll have to stay out of the way. I work better alone.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] So you really think we’re going to start killing each other, huh…?

 

 **JIN:** Well, yes. It’s only natural. We can’t stay cooped up here forever without _someone_ snapping. And once that happens, it’ll just set the ball rolling.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** …

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Resigned; sighing] I guess you’re right… But surely we’ll get out before then, right?

 

 **JIN:** …

 

 _I wish I could share the same level of optimism as Kotohiko… but honestly? I’m not entirely sure that_ **_any_ ** _of us will get out alive._

 

 **JIN:** Yeah. We will.

 

_I’m not going to just tell him that, though._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Determined; grinning] Right! Because we’re Jin and Kotohiko, investigative part-

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest] Omigosh, what happened to your _face_?!

 

_I reached up to touch my face, fingers pressing against my (now slightly crooked) nose. A small stream of blood dribbled out when I applied pressure._

 

_Maybe I should have let Koichi have a look at it._

 

 **JIN:** You just noticed?

 

 **JIN:**...Me and Koichi got into a bit of a fight this morning. This should heal up soon..

 

_At least, I’m pretty sure it will. It doesn’t feel broken… I think._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] I’m not too sure about that… I should set it. Hang on, I think there was a first aid set in my room…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Looking to the side; blushing] Um… you mind coming in?

 

_For some reason, I felt myself blush._

 

 **JIN:** Uhhhyeahsure.

 

_My words came out in a jumbled mess, and my face heated up further. What was wrong with me today? Getting mad at my roommate, getting flustered when a friend invites me… into his room…_

 

_…_

 

_The room he shares with Hitomiko. Right._

 

_Grow up, Jin._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; blushing] A-alright! Well… come in!

 

_Kotohiko stepped back into his room, leaving the door open for me. I followed after, trying to calm down. Fucking hell Jin, what are you doing? You don’t have any time for… romance, or whatever you think this is. Especially not with a boy. What would father think?!_

 

_…_

 

_Since when did I care about what Fuhito thought? Something’s definitely wrong with me._

 

_I sat on the edge of what I presumed to be Kotohiko’s bed (judging by the tabloid articles hung up above it), and twiddled my thumbs. Kotohiko opened the closet door (haha) and pulled out a first aid kit. He popped it open, pulling out some plaster bandages._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Holding bandages] Now, I’m no surgeon, but I’m pretty sure I know how to do this…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Just keep still.

 

 _Kotohiko walked over to me, grabbing the side of my face. Oh_ **_god._ ** _He fiddled with the bandages, before somehow applying them to my nose. It was hard to tell how, seeing as I was too busy trying to stop my heart from beating out of my chest. This was really bad._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Concentrating; biting tongue] Hmm… I think I got it straighter than before… you feel okay? Not too painful?

 

 **JIN:** Hhnnn?

 

 **JIN:** I… I mean- yeah. Not too painful.

 

_Pain was definitely the least of my worries._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Determined; grinning] Great! Just keep that on for a while, and everything will be okay!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** It’s a bit of a pain that those little nanobots don’t work for injuries like this… maybe if I go talk to Monokuma, he’ll heal it?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Not that I want to get anywhere near him.

 

 **JIN:** I’m fine. I’ve had worse injuries.

 

 **JIN:** Actually, I’m kind of interested about how _you_ know how to set broken noses. Have you taken a first aid course before?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Neutral] Actually… yeah, I have.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I’ve lived alone for almost my whole life, so I needed to learn to patch myself up.

 

 **JIN:**...You’re an orphan?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Well- yeah! Kinda impressed that you made that leap so quickly…

 

_As if any parent would let their children live alone for- oh, wait. My father does that._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Resigned; sighing] I grew up in an orphanage, but it was… really bad there. I moved out a couple years ago with a friend.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** She’s a bit of a klutz, so it was all the more reason to properly learn first aid.

 

_Kotohiko sat down on the bed next to me, leaning against me and placing a hand on my thigh. I tensed up, inhaling sharply._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] What about you, Jin? Have you taken first aid?

 

 **JIN:**...Not exactly. My father taught me how to fix myself up.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] Oh yeah! Your dad’s Fuhito Kirigiri, right? Head of the Kirigiri clan!

 

 **JIN:** …

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Starry-eyed; drooling] He’s apparently one of the best detectives in the world! Man, I can definitely see where you get it from! You must be a genius like him, right?

 

_If I wasn’t tense before, I definitely was now. I needed to change the topic immediately._

 

 **JIN:** Yes. What about you? Where did you get _your_ talent from?

 

_Kotohiko looked over to me, eyebrows raised in surprise._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Shocked; eyebrows raised] U-uh, me?

 

 **JIN:** Yes, you.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Uh… well, compared to yours, my talent isn’t really exciting…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Proud; hands on hips] Even though my tabloids are always top sellers!

 

 **JIN:** Sounds plenty exciting to me.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Looking to the side; blushing] R-really? You’d be the first, then…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** But, uh, I guess I tell you how I started. Kind of an “exclusive interview”, you know? E-except I’m the one getting interviewed.

 

 **JIN:** That sounds a lot better than “interrogation”.

 

_Kotohiko laughed nervously, tucking a lock of blue hair behind his ear._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Yeah, it does…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] Alright… where do I begin…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I started reading tabloids when I was… around six, I think?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] They were the only things the matrons used to read. They were fun to read!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Resigned; sighing] Pretty much the _only_ fun thing there. Besides Masuyo- that’s my friend’s name.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Neutral] I was on the newspaper club in my elementary school. But I preferred writing about gossip more than actual school events, so… uh…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Resigned; sighing] They kinda kicked me out.

 

 **JIN:** That’s harsh.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Annoyed; one hand on hip] I know, right!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Proud; hands on hips] But it was good in the end! Because after that happened, I made my _own_ newspaper… which turned into a tabloid.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** A really, _really_ popular tabloid.

 

 **JIN:** How popular?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Starry-eyed; drooling] Popular enough that we got our own publishing studio!

 

_Wh-what?! A kid’s newspaper got that…  fucking hell. That’s amazing._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Masuyo takes the pictures, I write the articles, and we have a bunch of editing staff and interns.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Wiping drool off face] It’s super profitable. How’d you think I got the money to rent my own apartment?

 

 **JIN:** I wish I had a success story like that.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Shocked; eyebrows raised] Huh? What do you mean?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; clasping hands] You’re the great detective, Jin Kirigiri! You’re the world’s best private eye!

 

 **JIN:** Japan’s best. And only as a highschooler. That’s what the Super High School Level titles _mean_ , Kotohiko. They don’t mean you’re the best in the world.

 

 **JIN:** I should know. My father doesn’t think I’m a proper detective at all, let alone the best.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Angered; pointing] That’s a terrible thing to say to your kid!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Jin, trust me. You really are the best.

 

_I don’t even want to be a detective. But I can’t tell that to Kotohiko now. It might just break his heart._

 

 **JIN:**...Whatever you say, Kotohiko.

 

_With that, we fell into a steady silence. Kotohiko shuffled towards me on the bed, resting his head on my shoulder. I tensed up, my flight-or-fight response preparing to go. Don’t punch him in the face, Jin. Don’t punch him. Don’t punch him. Don’t punch him._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Neutral] So…

 

 **JIN:** So.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** …

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Want to go investigating?

 

 **JIN:** God, yes.

 

_I let out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding._

 

_Kotohiko looked over at me, grinning. He had dimples and crow’s feet when he smiled. Huh. That must mean he smiles a lot. His skin was creamy pale, probably from long periods of staying inside- likely working on his magazines. There was a small inkblot next to his left ear- exploded pen. Strong grip, then. That was weird, his hands were so gentle when he fixed my nose…_

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Uh, Jin…?

 

 **JIN:**...Yeah?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** What are you doing?

 

_I thumbed at the edge of Kotohiko’s face, watching as it slowly got redder and redder. Low blood pressure- someone with a higher one would blush quicker._

 

 **JIN:** Investigating.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Blushing; staring] I-investigating my face?

 

_His voice cracked at that. He’s still going through puberty, even at 17. Probably a late bloomer, judging by the traces of baby fat still on his cheeks. Trauma can stunt growth… I wonder if this is just genetic, or if something happened to him._

 

 **JIN:** Yes.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Oh…

 

_Kotohiko leaned forward, pressing his forehead against mine. I squinted. There’s no way I could see anything this close. Why had he…?_

 

 **???:** Are you two gonna kiss, or what?!

 

_I choked on my own spit, quickly jumping away from Kotohiko. Oh my god. Was he going to kiss me? And someone saw that?_

 

_I turned my head towards the intruder, spotting Hitomiko. Of course. This was her cabin, after all. I was an idiot. Kotohiko gasped, immediately standing up from the bed and rushing out the door._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Flustered; face flushed] Wellit’sbeennicehavingyouoverJintalktoyoulaterbye!

 

_Kotohiko, in his haste, managed to slam his shoulder into the doorframe before making an exit._

 

_Alright then._

 

_Hitomiko snorted, sitting down on the bed opposite Kotohiko’s. She picked up her camera from the bedside table, flashing a picture of me._

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Cheeky, tongue out] That’s gonna be a keeper!

 

 **JIN:**...I thought you only took pictures of disasters.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Jin, honey. That _was_ a disaster.

 

 **JIN:** That’s… yeah.

 

_She’s right._

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Holding out camera] I’ll delete it if you want me to. Not really a fan of blackmail.

 

 **JIN:** Huh. If I recall correctly, your first crime scene photo was of an extortion crime gone wrong.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Gentle smile; showing dimples] Yeah, that rings a bell! Hate the crime, love the results.

 

_I hope she’s referring to her photographs, not the dismembered corpse of the amatuer blackmailer._

 

 **HITOMIKO:** You know, if you have the time, I can tell you more about my work. You look like a fan.

 

_Spend time with Hitomiko?_

**> > Yes**

No

 

 **JIN:** I don’t really have much else to do.

 

_Especially since Kotohiko ran away like that…_

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Excited; flapping hands] Excellent! Where should I start- oh! Maybe from the beginning! See, I became a war photographer because my family is actually from Saudi Arabia- well, my mother at least, but then I’d have to go waaaaaaaay back and explain how my dad met my mom and all that crap, so I’ll just skip over that for now-

 

 **JIN:** Woah, could you… maybe slow down?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Embarrassed; half-covering face] Ah, sorry! I get _really_ excited when I get to talk about my photography.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** It’s kind of my biggest interest, ever. My entire life revolves around it.

 

 **JIN:** Wouldn’t that be true of everyone’s talent here?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Thinking; biting knuckle] Hmm, I guess. I dunno… maybe I’m just over-exaggerating.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Grinning; holding up camera] I guess the best way to explain how passionate I am is to give you a demonstration! C’mon, I bet there’s something interesting around here to document.

 

 **JIN:** Do you mind if I investigate the area while you… document it?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Course not! If you find anything interesting, tell me and I’ll take a snap of it.

 

_The two of us stood, heading out of the cabin. I felt a small hunger pang in my stomach, but ignored it. Sure, I had skipped breakfast, but the mess hall wasn’t likely to be a huge source of clues. Perhaps it would be best to inspect the area I woke up in first… there might be some clues left along the flowers._

 

_The trip to the wildflower clearing was a short and silent one, minus the ever-present clicking noise of Hitomiko’s camera. For a war photographer, she seemed very interested in the local flora._

 

_Once I reached the clearing, I immediately knelt down to try searching through the soil. A few items popped up- a button (torn from Isana’s shirt, judging by the colour), a few paperclips, and… a photograph. That was curious._

 

 **JIN:** I think I found something.

 

_Hitomiko paused her avid photography to give me a curious look._

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Thinking; biting knuckle] Is it document-worthy?

 

 **JIN:** Well, it’s already a photograph. A pretty strange one. You’d know more about it than me. 

 

_Hitomiko trotted over, kneeling down in the dirt next to me. I handed her the photo._

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Huh? This is… No way!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Excited; flapping hands] Jin! This is super amazing! This level of high-definition… the crispness of the image… holy shit! An expert must have taken this!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Either that, or someone with a _really_ good camera.

 

_The photograph showed a group of four girls, grinning at the camera. None of them looked like anyone I knew. One of them was flipping the camera off, a cruel smile on her otherwise childlike face. The girl next to her looked extremely nervous, playing with a strand of her choppy black hair. A rocker-type girl flashed a peace-sign, sticking out a studded tongue. And lastly, a regular-looking girl smiled softly at the camera, a faint blush on her face._

 

_Interesting. Maybe this fell out of someone’s pocket?_

 

 **JIN:** Do you think whoever put us in this mess could have dropped this?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Thinking; biting knuckle] Maybe. But I don’t really think the mastermind of this whole thing is a highschool girl, you know? Unless the parent of one of these kids took this.

 

 **JIN:** Hey, hang on a second…

 

_Upon closer inspection… one of these girls was wearing the Hope’s Peak uniform. The nervous-looking one with the long hair. That’s certainly interesting, and probably the closest thing I had to a lead right now. I folded up the photo and placed it in my pants pocket. That’s probably going to be important later._

 

 _I stood, scanning the field for anything else of interest, when I spotted…_ **_him._ ** _Oh no._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] Hey! You kids! Scram!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** I’m trying to find something _very important_ , and I don’t need you bastards distracting me!

 

_I hope he doesn’t mean-_

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Sudden idea; finger in air] Do you mean the photograph?

 

_God damn it._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Gimmie! Gimmie!

 

_Monokuma waddled up to us and poked his claws into the bottom of my chin. I sighed, and pulled the photo out of my pocket. Monokuma snatched it, and gasped._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] Grrr… you folded it! You folded my pretty picture!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing] _Jin!_ How could you!

 

 **JIN:** Hey, it wouldn’t fit if I didn’t!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Blushing; sweat dripping down face] That’s what he said!

 

 **JIN:** Don’t you mean “that’s what she said”?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Pissed; neutral position] Don’t try to tell me what I do or don’t mean! Don’tcha know I’m a _bear_? Research your slang next time, kiddo!

 

 **JIN:**...What does being a bear have to do with anything?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** My humour is wasted on you cretins.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Thinking; biting knuckle] I got it… I think.

 

 **JIN:** Look- stupid jokes don’t even matter right now!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; looking at floor] Stupid…?

 

 **JIN:** What matters is that photograph. Who the hell were the kids in it? Why is it such high quality? Why is one of them wearing a Hope’s Peak uniform?!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] Woah there, buckaroo! Ease up on those questions!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** I know you’re a detective, but you gotta cool it on this interrogation.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Private business means private business! And that photo is private business!

 

 **JIN:** The girl is most likely involved in… whatever it is that’s going on here. I could tell from her nervous disposition that she likely wasn’t used to photography- she could just be shy, or she could be used to secrecy. Most likely, she didn’t want to be documented.

 

 **JIN:** I’m placing my bets on her being a child of a member of the government branch keeping us here, potentially being a member herself.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Jinkies! And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids and your dumb Private Eye!  


**JIN:** D-Dumb?!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Belly laughter] Upupupu! I don’t know how the school accepted you if your talent was _that_ weak!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] Then again, every human is stupid to me. Did you know that bears have a higher IQ than any animal on the planet?

 

 **JIN:** That’s definitely not true.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] Well then, smart guy, explain how _I_ know everything and _you_ know nothing!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** You’re too dumb to even complete your _FTE!_ I’m not even meant to be a part of these!

 

 **JIN:**...FTE?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] I’d hate to ruin the user’s experience any more, so I’ll be heading off now. Toodles!~

 

_After saying that awfully cryptic statement, Monokuma waddled off, photograph in tow. Just when I thought I was getting somewhere with the evidence…_

 

 **JIN:** Well that was a bust.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Holding up photograph] Not entirely! I managed to get a snap of the photo while you guys were arguing. It’s a little blurry, and the resolution’s kinda crap… definitely not my best work. But it’s still useful, right?

 

 **JIN:** …

 

 **JIN:** Hitomiko, this is more than useful. You’ve just contributed 100% of the evidence towards our investigation.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Surprised; hand covering mouth] Oh!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Gentle smile; showing dimples] But hey, I couldn’t have done it without you, right? You found the photo in the first place… and you distracted Monokuma!

 

 **JIN:** That was mostly unintentional. Don’t praise me unnecessarily.

 

 **JIN:** I think that’s all the evidence we’re going to find around here. Monokuma would have picked the rest of the field clean looking for the photograph.

 

_I guess that leaves us with no more leads..._

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Thinking; biting knuckle] Hmm… yeah, that’s probably right. But I found something cool today! Wanna see?

 

_...or not._

 

 **JIN:** If you think it’s important to the investigation, then of course.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Gentle smile; showing dimples] I think you’ll find it pretty interesting!

 

_Hitomiko grabbed my arm, sliding her photograph into one of her shirt pockets. She half-dragged me through the forest with excitement, eventually leading me to what looked to be a small clearing… with a metal door standing in the middle of it._

 

 **JIN:** What the hell… you didn’t think to show me this first?!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Embarrassed; half-covering face] Haha, sorry… it kinda slipped my mind!

 

 **JIN:** How does something like this just _slip your mind?_

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing] Hey, I had better things to think about! Like the fact that I lost my lens cap in the wildflower field…

 

 **JIN:** So _that’s_ why you agreed to investigate with me…

 

 **HITOMIKO:**...Partially.

 

_I sighed._

 

 **JIN:** It really doesn’t matter now, anyway. This is far more interesting than that photograph.

 

_I walked up to the door, pressing my hands against it to confirm it was actually real. Yep, definitely not a hologram. It rang solid when I rapped on it with my fist. I moved to try and walk around the door- and ended up smacking into some sort of invisible wall._

 

_Fuck, my nose._

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Nervous; tugging on collar] Jin! Are you okay?!

 

 **JIN:** Fuck. I’m fine. Motherfucking…

 

_So there was some sort of… glass wall? I pressed the palm of a hand against it, and jerked it away a few seconds later. Shit, that was hot… most likely some sort of electronic device. This must be the border of the biodome… and it was projecting an infinite forest to conceal that._

 

_Kind of stupid putting a door there and not disguising it too._

 

 **JIN:** I take it you’ve tried opening the door.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Neutral] Yep. It’s locked.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Too much tugging and it gives you a little shock.

 

 **JIN:** That’s an interesting safety mechanism… there’s no visible lock, so lock picking won't work. This is likely reinforced, judging by the apparent density of it. Maybe this is an airlock…

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Thinking; biting knuckle] That’s right, Monokuma did say we were in space…

 

 **JIN:** That’s assuming he’s telling the tru-

 

_I was interrupted by a rather large growl. I looked around, startled for a brief moment, before realising the growl had come from my stomach. That was embarrassing._

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Ah, are you hungry?

 

 **JIN:** Yes. But that’s not top priority right now.

 

_Another growl. My stomach begged to differ. Stupid thing._

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Riiiiight. You know, I can check this out while you go and get a snack. It’s lunch time anyway.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Gentle smile; showing dimples] You’ve worked hard enough, Jin! Just let me take over for a bit.

 

 **JIN:** Fine. In all actuality, I’d prefer if you just left this alone for now. I don’t want any more disruptions to the scene.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing] Hey! I’m not gonna mess it up!

 

_I didn’t listen to her, already heading off towards the mess hall. Curse my body’s need to survive. I’d be much better off if I was just a robot or a skeleton or something. Monokuma must have it easy._

 

_I arrived at the mess hall quickly enough, tugging open the hatch with relative ease. The dirt was still disturbed by my earlier misstep, and It bugged me. I scuffed my shoe against the dirt, messing up the Jin-sized imprint in it. If that meant I’d track dirt into the mess hall, who cared? This was only a temporary stay, after all…_

 

_I had to keep reminding myself that._

 

_From the sounds of things, someone else was already busy in the kitchen when I made my way down there. That was unfortunate. I had anticipated a socialisation-free lunch, but it was more likely that I was going to be dragged into a pointless discussion over leftovers. How joyful._

 

_Despite my abhorrence of small talk, I abhorred dying of starvation much more. So I swallowed my immature aversion to other humans, and headed into the kitchen._

 

 **ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] Heya, Jinny!

 

_Jinny?!_

 

 **JIN:** Isana? Aren’t you meant to be- I don’t know, sleeping?!

 

 **ISANA:** Pfft, don’t be silly! I got my required hours already, and now it’s time to eat!

 

 **JIN:** But you were trapped in here all night. Surely you’d be more tired than hungry?

 

 **ISANA:** [Holding up sherbet stick] Not when you’re hyped up on this goodness! You gotta try some, Jinny! It’s better than the stuff back home!

 

_Isana prodded my (aching, half-broken) nose with the tip of a sealed sherbet stick. I brushed her hand away from my face._

 

 **JIN:** No thanks. Refined sugar makes me… hyperactive.

 

 **ISANA:** Duh! That’s the whole point of taking it!

 

 **ISANA:** As a lifeguard, I’ve gotta be alert all the time!

 

 **ISANA:** [Pouring sherbert into mouth] Mmmn! ‘Nd th’s st’ff r’lly h’lps!

 

 **JIN:** I’m just going to have to take your word for it. Now, if I could just get past you to the fridge…

 

 **ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] Ooooh, are you, like, having lunch right now?

 

 **ISANA:** I can totes join you! All I’ve eaten is sherbert today, hehe!  


_That can’t be healthy…_

 

_Spend time with Isana?_

**> > Yes**

No

  


_I suppose I can accept. It’s just for the one meal, right? Someone’s got to stop Isana from dying of a sugar overdose._

 

 **JIN:** Yeah, fine. Don’t expect me to be the best conversationalist.

 

_I brushed past Isana to get to the refrigerator, pulling out some random leftovers from last night. I didn’t really care what I got, and didn’t bother to reheat it. I grabbed some chopsticks and headed to the dining section of the mess hall, Isana trailing behind me with a plate of her own food._

 

 **ISANA:** [Waving sherbert stick around] So, how long have you been in the ranger business?

 

 **JIN:**...Excuse me?

 

 **ISANA:** You know! You’re the Super High School Level Park Ranger, right? Or… was that not your talent and just your occupation? Yikes, sorry for assuming!

 

_Oh yeah. I forgot I told her that. Nothing good will come from lying to her more, though..._

 

 **JIN:** I’m not a park ranger. I just told you that so you’d let me cross.

 

 **ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] W-w-w-w-w-w-what?!

 

 **ISANA:** You lied to me!

 

 **JIN:** Obviously.

 

 **ISANA:** [Nervous, biting top of sherbert stick] J-jin! How could you do that! I trusted you!

 

_I sighed, leaning back on my chair._

 

 **JIN:** I just needed to talk to Ishimaru. And you wouldn’t let me cross otherwise…

 

 **ISANA:** So you’re saying…

 

 **ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] You’re saying I was denying you access to an authority figure?! Oh Jinny, I’m totes sorry! Like, that’s a huge blunder on my part!

 

 **JIN:**...You’re not mad at me?

 

 **ISANA:** Okay, so, I’m kinda like… upset you did that. But I messed up more!

 

 **ISANA:** [Frustrated; both fingers pressed into temples] Nggh… Isana, you big dummy! Next time a guy needs to get to a cop, you let him!

 

_I picked at my food, and the room fell into heavy silence. Isana seemed a lot less perky than usual._

 

 **JIN:** You still did the right thing. In terms of what a lifeguard should do, anyway.

 

 **ISANA:** [Confused; sherbert stick dangling from mouth] R-really?

 

 **ISANA:** [Joyful; starting to cry] T-thank you, Jinny!

 

_Before I could even think, Isana had vaulted the table to tackle me in a rib-crushing hug. For the second time today, I found myself trapped in an embrace, unable to breathe._

 

 **JIN:** Hhhhk- kkh- Isa-

 

 **ISANA:** Thank you so much, Jinny! I totally feel better now, like, better than ever! You’re so nice!

 

_I tapped weakly at her back, trying to get her to let me go._

 

 **JIN:** Isa… plea… can’t br…

 

 **ISANA:** And like, I know that sounds kinda sad or clingy or like, whatever, but it really means a lot to me! I don’t get many compliments, y’know?

 

 **JIN:** …sana! Let g...

 

 **ISANA:** Except when I save someone… though they’re usually too busy coughing up seawater to thank me, hehe…

.

_The lack of oxygen was getting to my head. How strong was she… she was completely smothering… me…_

 

_…_

  


_I awoke to the feeling of water splashing on my face. I spluttered, sitting up straight and gasping for air._

 

 **ISANA:** [Relieved; sweating] Jinny! You’re alive!

 

 **JIN:** Hhhn? What?

 

 **ISANA:** [Apologetic; looking down] I accidentally hugged you too hard and you totally passed out… sorry…

 

 **JIN:** You hugged me hard enough I _passed out?!_

 

_I mean… yeah, she definitely did. But how the fuck did she even accomplish that?!_

 

 **ISANA:** Yeah… wait, don’t you remember? Do you have amnesia?!

 

 **ISANA:** [Crying; tugging on ponytails] I’m so sooooooorrrrryyyyyyy!!!

 

 **JIN:** No- shit, I’m fine! I just don’t know how that was even _possible…_

 

 **ISANA:** [Proud; flexing biceps] Oh, that’s an easy question to answer! It’s because of these bad boys!

 

 **ISANA:** I’m not the most muscular, but you have to be strong to be a lifeguard!

 

 **JIN:** Right… how long was I out?

 

 **ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] Hmmm… maybe just over forty minutes?

 

 **JIN:** F-FORTY MINUTES?!

 

 **ISANA:** Yeah! You were out _cold._

 

_I stood up, looking at Isana with incredulity._

 

 **JIN:** You hugged me. Hard enough that I passed out. For _forty minutes._

 

 **ISANA:** Yep… I think that’s right!

 

 **JIN:**...Holy shit, you’re like the Hulk.

 

 **ISANA:**...The Hulk?

 

_Ah, I forgot. We’re Japanese. She’s probably never even heard of that character…_

 

 **JIN:** A western comic book character. A superhero with incredible strength. Sorry, I forgot the reference wasn’t universal…

 

 **ISANA:** [Waving sherbert stick around] It’s okay! I think it’s totally cool that you know all that Western junk!

 

 **ISANA:** [Confused; sherbert stick dangling from mouth] Though… you’re Japanese too, right? How do _you_ know about this Hulk dude?

 

 **JIN:** I’ve taken jobs in America. I know the culture, or at least the parts that were relevant to my investigations.

 

_And luckily enough for me, one of my clients was a comic-book-obsessed shut-in._

 

 **ISANA:** Jobs? Huh?

 

_Right. She still doesn’t know my talent._

 

 **JIN:** I’m a private detective. The Super High School Level Private Detective, to be more specific.

 

 **JIN:** My agency takes clients from all over the world. Most of our business is in Japan, though.

 

 **ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] No way! That’s so cool!

 

 **ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] I wish my talent involved travelling! It must be so amazing to get to see the world… you’re so lucky!

 

 **ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] How do you get around in other countries when you don’t know the language, though? Like, are you a polyglot or something?

 

_I’m surprised she knows what a polyglot is…_

 

 **JIN:** Not quite. I know English, Spanish, Russian and Japanese.

 

 **ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] Heh, that’s better than me! I just know English, Japanese and Afrikaans!

 

_It seems that Isana’s a lot smarter than she lets on…_

 

 **JIN:**...Interesting.

 

 **ISANA:** I guess it is! I mean, I’m still a beginner in English and Afrikaans, but I’m getting there! My grandma’s from South Africa, so she’s been teaching me.

 

 **JIN:** Is she the only foreigner in your family?

 

 **ISANA:** Duhhh, of course not! A lot of my family is from America… Er, originally from all over Africa, though. It’s a bit hard to get a track on my family’s history after colonization and slavery fucked everything up.

 

 **ISANA:** But I’m trying my best! I mean, what kinda budding historian would I be if I didn’t even track down my family tree!

 

 **JIN:** Historian?

 

 **ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] Oops!

 

 **ISANA:** [Nervous; biting top of sherbert stick] Nnn… I’m sorry for making you hear all that nerdy crud. You probably think I’m a total dork!

 

 **JIN:** Isana, I’m a _detective._ It’s actually interesting to learn that you’ve got a more… intellectual passion than just lifeguarding.

 

 **ISANA:** [Hand out in a “halt” gesture] Hey! Being a lifeguard _is_ intellectually stimulating!

 

 **ISANA:** And just because I consider myself a historian, does _not_ mean that I’m not a lifeguard as well. Those two professions can co-exist perfectly fine.

 

 **ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] Oops! I’ve started using big words again! I swear I ain’t a nerd, y’know!

 

_Ah. So it’s a bullying problem, then. That’s the only reasonable explanation I can think of for her insistence that she isn’t a “nerd”._

 

 **JIN:** Isana… I’m not going to beat you up for being smart.

 

 **ISANA:** Huh?! I didn’t- I mean- I know you’d, like, _never_ do that- u-uh!

 

 **ISANA:** [Crying; tugging on ponytails] I’m sorry! I’m not used to people being nice to me!

 

_Shit. I need a way to get her to stop crying._

 

 **JIN:** Hey, uh, Isana? Let’s play a game.

 

 **ISANA:** H-huh?

 

 **JIN:** Let’s play a trivia game. I ask you a question, and if you get it right, you get to ask me one. That way I can prove that I’m just as much of a “nerd”- if not more than you. Alright?

 

 **ISANA:** [Joyful; starting to cry] S-sure! Thank you!

 

 **JIN:** _Okaaaay…_ hm. What’s the longest word in the English dictionary?

 

 **ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] Hmmm… It’s antidisestablishmentarianism, isn’t it? No, wait- pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis?

 

 **JIN:** You’ve actually one-upped me. I thought it was the former.

 

 _Granted, it’s been a long time since I’ve actually had to_ **_read_ ** _an English dictionary._

 

 **ISANA:** [Proud; flexing bicep] Woo-hoo! I did it! Wait.. that’s a good thing, right?

 

 **JIN:** Yeah.

 

 **ISANA:** Nice. Anyway… hmm. Here’s an easy one: In what year did the Civil War begin and end?

 

 **JIN:** Which one? The Boshin War? That started in 1868 and ended in 1869.

 

 **ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] Oh! Sorry, should have been specific.

 

 **ISANA:** [Nervous; biting top of sherbert stick] I was thinking more along the terms of the _American_ Civil War.

 

 **JIN:** Then I don’t know.

 

 **ISANA:** Really?

 

 **JIN:** Hey, I know the language, not the history.

 

 **JIN:** Now, if we’re dipping into our specialist studies… after how many hours does _rigor mortis_ set in?

 

 **ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] That’s when a corpse stiffens, right? Uh… one hour?

 

 **JIN:** It usually sets in after _four_ hours.

 

 **ISANA:** [Frustrated; both fingers pressed into temples] Damn. That was tricky! I guess it’s my turn now…

 

 **ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] This is gonna be the final round, ‘cause I’ve almost finished my food! I’ll give you three chances, ‘cause this one’s pretty hard!

 

 **ISANA:** What was the first civilisation in the world?

 

**> > Egyptian Civilisation**

Roman Civilisation

Mesopotamian Civilisation

 

 **JIN:**...The Egyptian Civilisation?

 

 **ISANA:** [Hand out in “halt” gesture] Bzzzt! Incorrect!

 

 **ISANA:** [Waving sherbert stick around] Even though the Ancient Egyptians are _pretty_ old, they’re definitely not the oldest!

 

 **ISANA:** They started around 3150 BC, and the oldest one started way earlier!

 

 **ISANA:** [Holding up two fingers] You have two guesses left, Jinny!

 

~~Egyptian Civilisation~~

**> > Roman Civilisation**

 Mesopotamian Civilisation

 

 **JIN:** It has to be the Roman Civilisation, right?

 

 **ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] Jin!

 

 **ISANA:** [Hand out in “halt” gesture] Now you’re just messing around with me!

 

 **ISANA:** The Romans are _totally_ too young to be the oldest! This is after the Egyptians, you know!

 

 **ISANA:** I mean, they started back in 550 BC!

 

 **ISANA:** [Holding up one finger] I hope this was a joke… even if it was, it still counts as a guess! Only one left!

 

~~Egyptian Civilisation~~

~~Roman Civilisation~~

**> > Mesopotamian Civilisation**

 

 **JIN:** Right, right… it’s the Mesopotamian Civilisation, isn’t it?

 

 **ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] Yup! Third time’s the charm!

 

 **ISANA:** Starting in 5000 BC, the Mesopotamian Civilisation is widely quoted as the oldest civilisation in human history!

 

 **ISANA:** It’s so exciting that we have records dating back that far! It kinda gives me hope for finding my culture…

 

 **ISANA:** [Waving sherbert stick around] I mean, no offense to Japan, but I just wanna find my roots.

 

 **JIN:** Must be nice, wanting to know more about your family…

 

 **ISANA:**...You don’t?

 

_Shit, did I say that out loud?_

 

 **JIN:** Let’s not ruin the day by talking about them.

 

 **ISANA:** [Nervous; biting top of sherbert stick] ...Okay. If you ever need to talk…

 

 **ISANA:** Well, anyway. Thank you. Today’s been hella fun, Jinny!

 

_Isana grabbed her dish, skipping away to go wash it, and I was struck by the realisation that I’d barely touched mine. I groaned, starting to eat it. Isana slipped by before I could finish, but left a single sherbert stick next to my plate. No way I was actually going to eat it, but it was still a sweet gesture._

 

_After finishing off my meal and washing up, I headed out of the mess hall. Holy shit, was it getting dark already? The days must go quicker here… If Monokuma’s controlling the day/night cycle, that could be the case._

 

_Speaking of Monokuma… what was he doing down in the ampitheatre? I could vaguely see him setting up some sort of equipment… this might be worth investigating. He didn’t seem to notice me as I drew nearer, until I was standing directly over him._

 

 **JIN:** What are you doing?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] Jeepers creepers! What the hell d’ya think you’re doing, bastard!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** You startled me! And I get stabby when I’m startled! You’re lucky you haven’t turned into the world’s first human _shish kebab!_

 

 **JIN:**...I thought that was Taichi.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Belly laughing] Puhuhuhuhuhu! Good one, tiddlywinks!

 

 **JIN:** _Did you just call me tiddlywinks?!_

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] Uh-huh! I’m a fan of pet names, pillow talk, and other sappy niceties, so get used to it!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] And to answer your first question, I’m setting up shop for a _very important_ announcement tomorrow!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] I’m gonna kickstart you suckers into a murderous frenzy! It’s so boring watching you all scramble around like headless sheep!

 

 **JIN:** You’d think the government would have other things to put you up to.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** I _know,_ right!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Showing white side] You’d think they’d have more jobs for a lil’ ol’ Monokuma!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** I’m a deluxe model, Jin! I can cook, clean, dance, date, and murder!

 

 **JIN:** Why are you complaining to _me_ about this?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] Because you’re right there, numbnutz! And I don’t have my pretty little Enoshima to listen to my woes anymore!

 

 **JIN:**...Enoshima?

 

_Is that the name of his creator or something?_

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; looking at floor] Oh crap, I shouldn’t have told you that…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Showing black side] Aw well, I guess it doesn’t really matter! 

 

 **MONOKUMA:** She’s not even relevant anymore! Old news! Overdone trope!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] Now scram, before I reveal any more vital information!

 

 _I hurried off, Monokuma’s words ringing in my head. Enoshima, huh? If only I could do some research into who_ **_she_ ** _might be… maybe I can make Monokuma slip up at a later date… there wasn’t much I could do right now._

 

_I could spot a few people heading towards the mess hall, but I really didn’t want to deal with them right now. I needed some time to think. I walked towards my cabin, thankfully finding it free of Koichi. I collapsed onto my bed, squeezing my eyes shut and trying to think. Even though I suddenly felt exhausted… today really had been taxing. But I needed to focus._

 

_I needed to find out who Enoshima was…_

 

_I needed…_

 

_…_

 

* * *

 

**MONOKUMA THEATRE**

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Humans have always been so self-centered.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** This isn’t just a jab at modern-day culture, either! Do you think it really matters if someone takes one too many pictures of themself? Of course not!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** If anyone older had the technology back then, they’d be all over this whole “modern trend”. It’s just human nature!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Humans will always rely on their own worldview to judge right or wrong. They perceive the world the way they see it, and never stop to consider how other people think.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Is the red you see the same red that someone else does? Do you hear music the same way as your neighbour? Do your fingertips pick up textures the same way as everyone else on the planet?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Nobody knows, but everyone just assumes the way _they_ see things, everyone else does!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** So is it really that bad to kill someone? Are you so obsessed with your own morality, you failed to understand the murderer’s?

  
**MONOKUMA:** Well off course you are! Humans are so self-centered.


	5. CHAPTER ONE: "A Forest of Lost Souls" [PART TWO]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warnings for this chapter:  
> -Mentions and demonstrations of disordered eating  
> -Sexual references  
> -Suicidal thoughts  
> -Mentions of vomit and vomiting  
> & things along similar veins. Read at your own risk.

**MONOKUMA:** Goooood morning, everyone!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** It is now 7am, and night-time is officially over!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!

 

_I shot up in bed, clutching my covers and looking around. God damn it, I feel asleep. But who had put the covers on me..? It had to have been Koichi. But he wasn’t even in here… He probably woke up ages before me. Fucking hell, I was starving. I guess that’s what happens when you only eat one meal a day, Jin._

 

_I stepped out of bed, still dressed in the clothes from the day before. I didn’t particularly feel like changing, so I just stretched, put on my shoes, and headed towards the mess hall. This time I would actually get breakfast, lunch, AND dinner, dislike of socialisation be darned. Hopefully nobody would try to talk to me… or if they did, they’d be someone tolerable. Like Kotohiko, or Hitomiko, or Isana…_

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Grinning; thumbs up] Yo, Jin!

 

_I jumped, startled by Tokiya’s sudden appearance. He slung an arm over my shoulders, and forcefully dragged me over to the mess hall’s central table._

 

 **TOKIYA:** How’s it hangin’, bee-otch?

 

_From the other side of the mess hall, Sadamu perked up and looked over to us._

 

 **SADAMU:** [Distant; hopeful expression] Are you talking about bees?

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Annoyed; face-palming] Of course we’re not, you stupid Tarzan motherfucker! Me and Jin are having a conversation!

 

  **JIN:** A conversation about  _what_ , exactly? 

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Thrumming fingers on table] Oh, you know, you know. Just shootin' the shit. Gettin' to know ya. Tryingtofindabodyguard. The usual...

 

 **JIN:** I swear I heard 'bodyguard' in that sentence. Tokiya, take a  _good_ look at me for a second.

 

_I gestured to my (unfortunately) very shrimpy body._

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Leaning in; whispering] Not a  _physical_ bodyguard, jackass. A  _smart_ one. A brain-guard, if ya will.

 

 **JIN:** That's not a word.

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Annoyed; face palming] I  _know_ it ain't a word! Because  _I'm_ not smart! I dunno jack shit about making 'the perfect murder' or whatever bullshit that possessed teddy bear wants us to do to get out of this place. But I need someone who  _does_ know how to escape... the smartest person here... ring any bells? 

 

 **JIN:** Pretty sure nobody here matches that exact description, so no.

 

 **TOKIYA:** Fine, then I'll ring your bells for ya! Ding-dong, bitch! It's  _you!_

 

 **JIN:** Well, first off: I  _don't_ know how to get out of here, at least without complying with what Monokuma wants us all to do. And second off: No, I'm not going to help you do  _that._ I'm a detective, Tokiya. I solve crimes, I don't make them.

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Insecure; fiddling with glasses] Yeah, but... I mean... you'll figure it out  _eventually._ I'm going stir-crazy in here, man. You didn't catch me yesterday, did ya? That's cause I was lockin' myself in my cabin going loony! 

 

 **TOKIYA:** I'm not like one of you guys who gets put into these high-pressure shitshows every second sunday. I'm just a normal dude! A really sexy normal dude, but a normal dude nonetheless! 

 

 **JIN:** If you don't get put into this kind of stuff, what exactly would you call your bicycle racing?

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Groaning; holding head in hands] Urgh... that's simple. I just shut my brain off and go as fast as I can. My manager deals with all the stuff that comes afterwards... I'm just trusted to spit out ads for the sponsorship deals.

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Confident; combing through hair] That being said, do you think your teeth are looking a little too shabby? Simply try Colgate's new teeth whitening toothpaste! And you'll have a grin and  _goregous_ as this one in only a week, or your money back!

 

 **JIN:** Uh...

 

_Tokiya's grin suddenly vanished, and he leapt forward, grabbing me by the front of my cape._

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Desperate; close to tears] You see, man?! I'm goin' insane! I'm just spouting off brand deals now! I can't help it! This is  _literally_ the only way I deal with this kinda shit, and it's not working! There's no fuckin'  _Colgate_ here! 

 

 **JIN:** Tokiya, calm down! Listen, I don't know what I can do for you! I'm trying to deal with my own stuff right now, and I don't have time to get involved with anyone else when I'm trying to save  _all_ of us. I'll- I'll find a way out of here. And when I do, you'll be the first to know, okay?

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Calming down] O-Okay. Okay. Yeah. Okay. I can... I can deal with that.

 

 **JIN:** So right now, I need to work. To find the way out. So... 

 

_I held my hands in front of me, as if taming a wild animal._

 

 **JIN:** I'm going to go do that now. I'll meet up with you once I've found something.

 

_I backed out of the mess hall, pausing only to grab a couple pieces of fruit from a bowl on the table and shove them in my pocket. I didn't want to completely starve to death, after all. It was only a few moments before my back hit the rusty iron of the ladder, and I was able to climb my way back up into the manufactured "sunlight"._

  

 _I didn’t know where I was going, only that it was_ **_away_ ** _from everyone else. That experience with Tokiya had shaken me- not that I considered him a threat or anything, but this was just proof that everyone was starting to unravel. I needed to work quickly. I wound up storming off into the forest, not bothering to keep track of any landmarks that could help me find my way back to the campground. It wasn’t long before I reached the edge of the forest, where the trees met the wall of the dome._

 

 _This time, I didn’t walk straight into it. I could tell, upon closer inspection, that it_ **_was_ ** _just a 2D projection and not an extension of the main forest. I sat down near it, making sure not to touch it, lest I get burnt again. Just sitting a few feet in front of it was already getting uncomfortably warm. I slid down onto my back, gazing up at the forest’s canopy._

 

_It almost blocked out all the light from the sky, but a few spots of sunlight managed to filter through it. The screen wall had an interesting effect on the lighting, the projections managing to give off light themselves. That certainly made the whole forest a lot brighter than it should be. I squeezed my eyes shut, letting out a long exhale through my nose. Focus, Jin. You need to find a way out of here._

 

_Let’s review the facts._

 

_Number one: I’m stuck in space, in a “biodome” that resembles a European forest._

 

_Number two: I’m being held captive by a branch of the Japanese government, represented by a robotic bear mascot._

 

_Number three: The reason I am trapped here is to take place in a Killing Game, one I might not survive if I don’t get out of here soon._

 

 _The first two facts aren't really “facts”, if I was being honest with myself. They’re merely assumptions based off the testimony that was given to me. It’s entirely possible that Monokuma is lying about his motivations and the people controlling him. Though, a project with this high of a budget and the ability to stay undetected even when Japan’s most famous high school was involved must have_ **_some_ ** _higher connections._

 

 _Perhaps Hope’s Peak_ **_is_ ** _the connection. It would only make sense. The institution had been steadily gaining more and more power ever since it was opened. It’s only natural that it would have some footing in the government. Perhaps Hope’s Peak was secretly a government mandated operation all along? Sure, it was_ **_meant_ ** _to be founded by Izuru Kamukura as a private project, but is that really true? That’s the only reasonable explanation I can think of for why they’ve dragged us here. It’s just another experiment._

 

_So… leading hypothesis: Hope’s Peak is a government-controlled institution that kidnapped “talented” students in order to force them to kill each other. They’re probably doing this to judge how talented we really are… will we find a way out of this without killing each other, or will we prove that deep inside, we’re just imperfect humans just like the rest of the world?_

 

 _Well, the answer to that is obvious. Of course we’re imperfect. There’s no way that the killings won’t start. Monokuma will, most likely, introduce a motive to us that will jumpstart us. Maybe he’ll threaten to reveal our deepest secrets. Maybe he’ll kidnap our families. Hell, maybe he’ll just offer us a huge pile of fucking_ **_money_ ** _. Either way, someone’s gonna snap._

 

_But it’s not going to be me._

 

_For one, there’s nobody out there I would really miss. I suppose mother is… alright. She’s distant, but she’s not terrible. Not like Fuhito. But other than that, I only have my clients and my contacts. No deep connections at all. The secret thing might be an issue… that is, if it’s ever brought up. I’m going to deep into the hypotheticals here. I don’t think I’d murder for something as simple as everyone knowing that I deliberately sent an “innocent” man to death row._

 

_He deserved it, after all._

 

_…_

 

_Focus. Right._

 

_..._

 

_Trapping us in space was a smart move. How the fuck are we going to escape? We don’t have the equipment. We can’t contact anyone back at Earth. Even if we could, what are they going to do? Just fly up here and rescue us? It’s not that simple. Even if this is all some elaborate set-up, and we really are still on Earth, it sure is one hell of a morale dampener. I sighed, sitting up and brushing the dirt from my arms._

 

_There must be some pods that could send us back to Earth, or at least something like that. How else is the “winning” student meant to make it back home? If I can just find a way to get out of this biodome…_

 

_The door. The door is the best bet I have right now._

 

 _But it’s going to require more than just brute strength to open. Maybe Monokuma has a way of unlocking it… I’ll never know if I don’t trick him into telling me. Which means_ **_more_ ** _socialisation, with the_ **_most_ ** _unsavoury character here. And he’s probably much smarter than he looks… goddamn it._

 

 _I sat up, pulling an apple out of my pocket and taking a bite out of it. Food. Food will help me think. It’s stupid of me to neglect my own health just because I don’t like people. Or, rather, that I_ **_can’t_ ** _like people. Not in this situation. Not until I get free._

 

_There’s just too high of a risk._

 

_I’m already pushing it with Kotohiko. What was I thinking yesterday? I was about to kiss him- and I’ve only known him for a day. Pull yourself together, Jin. This isn’t some fucking fairytale romance. Kotohiko could be evil. He could be a future killer. Hell, he could even be involved in all this shit! There’s no way I can trust him. No matter how nice, or attractive, or… stop it. Just stop it._

 

_It’s not like you even deserve romance, you stupid piece of shit. Figure it out. You’re a detective, aren’t you? Put that to good fucking use instead of running away from your problems._

 

_I swallowed down the bite of apple, finding the taste suddenly bitter. Did I bite the inside of my mouth? It doesn’t matter. There’s going to be worse in store for me if I don’t escape. There’s only so long I can keep myself safe. I don’t even have any muscle. God, I’m probably going to die._

 

_I need to find Monokuma. I need to get myself out of here._

 

_I threw the rest of the apple on the ground, ignoring my complaining stomach, and stood stiffly. I marched out of the forest the way I came, trusting my subconscious and muscle memory to guide me back to the camp ground. It took longer than I would have liked, but I succeeded, and my goal was that much closer._

 

_Now, to the amphitheatre. No more distractions._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Hey, wait up! Jin!

 

_Fuck this._

 

 **JIN:** Not now, Maizono.

 

_Kotohiko stopped in his tracks, looking at me with confusion._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** M-Maizono…?

 

_I marched past him, eyes focused on the stage of the amphitheatre. I thought I had got my point across to Kotohiko, but not two seconds later, he started following me again._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Jin, please wait up! I-I found something!

 

_I froze, turning my head over my shoulder to look at Kotohiko. He looked out of breath, his face flushed and dripping with sweat. He must have run far in order to find me… I felt my heart crumple up like a paper bag. Why am I such an asshole?! What’s wrong with me?!_

 

_Kotohiko stumbled over to me, breathing heavily. He grabbed onto my arm, steadying himself, and pulled a crumpled-up piece of paper out of his pocket._

 

_It was a news article._

 

**_PROTESTS AT HOPE’S PEAK ACADEMY TURN DEADLY_ **

 

_RESERVE course students of Hope’s Peak Academy have been protesting the school’s alleged connections with the mass murder-suicide occurring within the ranks of the Main Course’s student council. Thirteen students were found dead inside one of the sectioned-off classrooms in the soon-to-be-renovated North Building. The sole survivor of the massacre, whose name has been omitted for his safety, claims that he and his fellow council members were forced to kill each other by an unknown mastermind. The claims of the Reserve Course indicate that they believe the mastermind may, in fact, be the faculty members of Hope’s Peak itself. Earlier today, two members of the riots managed to break into the school’s Main Course and murdered three people- two guards and a currently unident_

 

_The rest of the article was scribbled out in black ink, and was ripped around the edges._

 

 **JIN:** This is…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] I… I don’t know about you, Jin, but I don’t remember Hope’s Peak having a “Reserve Course”.

 

 **JIN:** That’s because they don’t.

 

_Let alone one capable of breaking into the main school and murdering three people._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] What do you think “Reserve Course” even means? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that term before…

 

 **JIN:** Judging by the fact that it’s separate from the “Main Course”... maybe it’s a group of students who _don’t_ have talents? Or maybe it’s a different year group, like an Elementary school… but that’s even more ridiculous.

 

 **JIN:** Where did you find the article?

 

_Kotohiko gestured behind him, vaguely._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I found it in the flower clearing. Hitomiko was telling me about the photograph you guys found, so I thought there’d be something else useful…

 

_Well, it might not be useful, but it’s certainly interesting._

 

 **JIN:** Thank you for showing this to me, Kotohiko.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] You used my first name!

 

 **JIN:**...Yeah. Sorry about being rude. I was in a bad mood.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I gotcha, Jin! It’s okay, it happens to the best of us…

 

_Kotohiko suddenly squinted at me, looking me up and down._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] Jin, did you eat today?

 

 **JIN:** Technically… yes.

 

_Kotohiko grabbed my arm tighter, frowning._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Annoyed; one hand on hip] Jin, there shouldn’t be a “technically” in that sentence! You’re a bag of bones!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** C’mon… I’m gonna go and get you some food. I don’t want you to be dying of starvation before the Killing Game even starts!

 

_Before I could protest, Kotohiko grabbed my arm and dragged me off towards the mess hall. I didn’t really have the strength or the willpower to pull away._

 

 **JIN:** You know, I do have some food on me…

 

_Kotohiko stopped, right before we reached the hatch._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] ...What food?

 

 **JIN:** Just some fruit.

 

_Without replying, Kotohiko started pulling me again. Admittedly, my reply was a bit pathetic. He had to let go of my arm to climb down the ladder, but he waited for me to go down first just to make sure that I wouldn’t run away again. He really does care about me, huh._

 

 **JIN:** I-I’m not going to starve to death, Kotohiko. I’m just not very hungry.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Annoyed; one hand on hip] Jin, that’s bullshit and you know it! You need to eat! I’ve written _way_ too many articles about superstars who get anorexia- I’m not gonna let you be another one of them!

 

 **JIN:** Skipping a few meals isn’t going to make me _anorexic_ , Kotohiko.

 

_Besides, it’s more like EDNOS than anorexia, in my case. I’m not going to let Kotohiko know that, though. He has enough to worry about right now._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Still- I worry about you, Jin.

 

_Fuck._

 

 **JIN:** You shouldn’t.

 

_I turned away from him, wordlessly walking into the kitchen. Thankfully, everybody had already eaten by this point, so there was no one to bother me while I grabbed a few leftover pieces of bacon lying on a plate near the stove. Hana must have been cooking here… the bacon looked and smelt too good to have been cooked by anyone else._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] I made them… well, I made Hana leave you some leftovers. I… I didn’t… I didn’t want you to go hungry.

 

_I sighed, picking up a strip of bacon and biting off a piece. It tasted fantastic… Hana had certainly earned her talent. So why couldn’t I? Why can’t I just figure this all out?_

 

_I don’t deserve to eat._

 

_…_

 

_But I have to. For Kotohiko. Just this once._

 

_I finished the three strips left for me, trying to choke them down as fast as I could. The sooner I got this out of the way, the sooner I could actually start being useful for once._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; hands clasped] You did it! Congrats, Jin!

 

 **JIN:**... I ate three pieces of bacon, Kotohiko.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Mm-hmm! And that’s three times the protein you had in you _before_ you ate them! Don’t you feel better?

 

_I… I suppose I do. At least now my stomach isn’t distracting me from the work I need to do._

 

 **JIN:** I suppose.

 

_Kotohiko suddenly enveloped me into a hug, burying his face into my neck. I froze, face suddenly turning an embarrassing shade of red._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Jin… promise me that you’ll keep eating. Even if I die in here.

 

 **JIN:** That’s- aren’t you jumping the gun a bit here?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Not really… I’m small, and weak, and an easy target. I don’t- I know there’s only going to be a few survivors. If we all start killing each other… I… I just don’t want to lose you, okay!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I never h-had many friends, just Masuyo! And now… now I might never see her again. So I only have you.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** So… what I guess I’m saying is… I value you so much, Jin. I just don’t want you to keep hurting yourself- by not eating, by not treating your wounds, by-

 

 **JIN:** I get it, Kotohiko.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** S...sorry, I got a bit carried away.

 

 **JIN:** What makes you think _you’re_ going to get killed, and not _me_?

 

_Kotohiko sniffled, and choked back a few tears. Instead of crying, he just giggled sadly._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I don’t know… I guess I just have really good intuition.

 

_With that, I finally put my hands around Kotohiko, and he hugged me even tighter. We stayed like that for a few minutes, just holding each other. It was… nice. I was almost disappointed when he pulled away, smiling softly up at me._

 

_I’d never really felt… needed before._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Looking to the side; blushing] Well… I better get going, Jin. Give you some free time.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I’d be nice if you could get to know some other people… I’m gonna just comb the area too see if I find more stuff. I concentrate better alone, so…

 

 **JIN:** I understand. I’ll see you at dinner, Kotohiko.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Excited; clasping hands] Alright! Don’t skip out this time, Jin!

 

_And with that, Kotohiko rushed away with a spring in his step._

 

_I guess I have to talk to some new people, then…_

 

**FREE TIME: START**

 

 _I stood in the mess hall, utterly stumped as for who I could talk to. I could just go back to Isana or Hitomiko- but who knows where they might be. Besides, Isana’s excitability is a bit tiring and Hitomiko was just using me to find her lens cap last time… even though she did end up leading me to some interesting pieces of evidence. I would have followed Kotohiko, but I can’t let him know I’m_ **_that_ ** _desperate for his company… besides, he told me to meet new people._

 

_I guess I should just pick a direction and start walking, then. The first person I bump into I’ll talk to. That seems like the best plan I have right now. I climbed out of the mess hall, scanning the clearing. The only person visible was Tokiya… and after the disaster at breakfast, I really don’t want to talk to him. Guess I better just walk the opposite direction… which conveniently seems to lead into the wildflower field. That’d be as good a place as any to find new evidence._

 

_I entered the wildflower field, inhaling deeply. The air in this part of the forest seemed much… cleaner. More alive, almost. I guess that’s because of all the plant life, although if that was the case, all the trees must be capable of having the same effect…_

 

_Sadamu was sitting in the middle of the field, tucking more flowers into his braid. Thank god. He seems like one of the more approachable members of the class, and certainly one of the calmer ones. Maybe this won’t be too bad…_

 

_Spend time with Sadamu?_

**> >Yes**

No

 

_I walked over to him, wading through the sea of wildflowers. He looked up as I approached, smiling softly at me and beckoning me over._

 

 **SADAMU:** [Smiling warmly] Ah, Jin! It’s nice to see you.

 

_I sat down next to him, and he passed me a few flowers._

 

 **SADAMU:** They’re so beautiful, aren’t they?

 

_I turned the flowers over in my hands, studying them. They certainly were beautiful- their petals were a soft, and slowly faded from a deep purple to an almost-white lavender at the center. They contained a fair amount of powdery yellow pollen, which certainly looked like a hassle to clean out if it got in your hair. Not that Sadamu seemed to mind._

 

 **JIN:** What are they?

 

 **SADAMU:** [Holding up flower] These are crocuses. They’re not only grown in Europe, but also in parts of Asia. Makes me feel a little closer to home… if only by a portion. I’m still looking for some native Japanese flowers in here.

 

 **JIN:** This is a European forest, so I wouldn’t count on it.

 

_Sadamu laughed, taking the flowers from my hand and tucking one behind my ear. I stiffened at the contact, but he drew away before I got really uncomfortable._

 

 **SADAMU:** You’d be surprised how many flowers are found in both Europe _and_ Japan. Hollyhocks, for example.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] Flowers are truly amazing creatures… it’s almost sad that we pick so many of them just to beautify our own lives.

 

 **JIN:** Isn’t that what you’re doing right now?

 

 **SADAMU:** I said it was _almost_ sad. The flowers here are all doomed, anyway. They’re not going to be able to reproduce.

 

 **JIN:** What makes you think that?

 

 **SADAMU:** [Disappointed; tugging on lock of hair] There are no animals here! Not even a single insect. Without pollinators, these are all going to die in due time. Unless they manage to knock against each other.

 

 **SADAMU:** I would pollinate them myself, but there’s only so much that a finger dipped in pollen can do. I’d end up damaging them, or mixing incompatible pollen…

 

 **JIN:** So you’re just killing them instead.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Thinking; finger pressed to jaw] I prefer to think of it as giving them a use before they wither. That’s true of all life, no? There needs to be some meaning to it.

 

 **SADAMU:** These flowers are going to die anyway. Why not give them a meaningful existence, if only for a short while?

 

_I didn’t expect a flower-picking session to get so philosophical._

 

 **JIN:** It must be painful for you to see so many flowers go to waste. I mean, being a beekeeper and all…

 

 **SADAMU:** [Disappointed; tugging on lock of hair] _Oui._ If I just had _one_ of my hives here… this place could be kept alive for decades.

 

 **JIN:** Just one of your hives? Don’t queen bees only live for like… a couple years?

 

 **SADAMU:** [Trying to suppress giggles; hand over mouth] Snnk- you do know that they get a new queen when the old one dies, right?

 

_I turned bright red. Oh. That was pretty obvious._

 

 **SADAMU:** [Regaining composure] That’s the cycle of a hive. Hives, if they’re functioning optimally and don’t get destroyed by outside forces, can outlive humans.

 

 **SADAMU:** It’s like a regular, human monarchy. The kingdom doesn’t collapse when the current ruler dies, it just coronates the ruler’s heir. And unlike humans, bees don’t go around building miniature guillotines and calling for a revolution.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Trying to suppress giggles; hand over mouth] Though it would be pretty hilarious if they did.

 

 **JIN:** … _Viva la Hivelucion._

 

 **SADAMU:** Snnnk- Jin, stop, you’re going to make me laugh.

 

 _I didn’t think it was_ **_that_ ** _good…_

 

 **JIN:** What about… the Storming of the Bee-stille?

 

_I winced at that one. Okay, that was definitely terrible. Sadamu didn’t seem to agree with me, though, and he finally broke down into soft giggles. He clutched my arm, trying to muffle his laughter with his other hand._

 

 **SADAMU:** [Laughing; wiping tears from eyes] Hahah! You’ve found my- my weakness, Jin! Bad puns!

 

_Jeez, he’s like one of those sitcom dads I’ve seen on TV… the type that always makes bad puns and laughs his head off whenever he hears one._

 

_I wish my dad was more like that._

 

 **SADAMU:** [Regaining composure] Hah… anyway. Sorry, I just find wordplay amusing. Especially when it’s done poorly.

 

 **JIN:** So you were laughing at my incompetency to tell a joke… not the jokes themselves?

 

 **SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] Well, when you put like that, it sounds sort of cruel.

 

 **SADAMU:** But, yeah. That’s what I was laughing at. I wouldn’t take it too personally, though.

 

 **JIN:** I didn’t.

 

_We fell into silence after that, Sadamu continuing to pick flowers and add them to the growing collection in his hair. He was starting to run out of places to put the larger flowers, and had to focus on the smaller ones._

 

 **JIN:** Why do you do that?

 **SADAMU:** Hmm?

 

 **JIN:** Why do you put so many flowers in your hair? It seems like a hassle to wash.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Sweeping braid over shoulder] It is. I don’t mind, though. When I’m around my hive, I use the flowers in my hair to direct my colonies.

 

 **JIN:**...What?

 

 **SADAMU:** Oh! Sorry, I forgot that my methods of apiculture are a bit… abnormal.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Pulling flower out of braid] Usually, I just let my colonies free of their hives, and then tell them to pollinate the same species of flowers I’ve stuck in my hair. They’re very smart creatures, you know.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Waving flower around] So, let’s say I wanted to pollinate the farm’s rose bushes. I’d clip a few of the flowers- not too many, just the smaller or older blossoms- and then I’d let one of the hives swarm me. They’d pick up what flowers I’m directing them to pollinate, and then head towards the rose bushes.

 

 **JIN:** That’s… impressive?

 

_And completely impossible. But I don’t see why Sadamu would be lying to me… maybe this is how far his Super High School Level talent goes._

 

 **SADAMU:** [Putting flower back in braid] It took a lot of training. Even I can’t work miracles overnight.

 

_Wait… so if he has the flowers in his hair, and the bees can somehow pick up on them…_

 

 **JIN:** You don’t wear a veil?

 

 **SADAMU:** Of course not!

 

 **SADAMU:** [Smiling warmly] I trust my colonies. They’d never hurt me, so I don’t see the need for a veil.

 

 **JIN:** Still, you must have safer species, right? Ones that don’t sting as often?

 

 **SADAMU:** _Au contraire, mon ami._ I have all types of species in my apiary. Everything from simple Japanese Honey Bees to the… more _aggressive_ Africanized Honey Bees.

 

 **JIN:** Those… those are the killer bees. I… I’ve had to investigate a corpse in Brazil. He was stung to death by them.

 

 **JIN:** You keep _those…_ and you don’t even wear any protection?

 

 **SADAMU:** [Defensive; clutching bee pin] They’re just defending their hive. If you could… understand them, like I do, you’d understand.

 

 **SADAMU:** They didn’t ask to be bred like this. It’s humanity's fault. They work so hard to make a new species, and then complain when it starts fighting back? Typical.

 

 **SADAMU:** _Parfois, les abeilles sont beaucoup plus raisonnables que les humains._

 

 **JIN:** Look, I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m just shocked, that’s all.

 

 **SADAMU:** …

 

 **SADAMU:** [Looking to the side] Ah… I suppose that’s a regular reaction. They’re not even the most dangerous hives on site… I don’t really dabble in taking care of insects other than bees, but I do have a few wasp and hornet hives I look after.

 

 **JIN:** Don’t hornets and wasps kill bees?

 

 **SADAMU:** [Disappointed; tugging on lock of hair] Sadly… yes. I have to keep them very far away from my other hives. They’re also far less reasonable… I have gotten stung by some hornets, but only on very rare occasions.

 

 **SADAMU:** Those occasions almost hospitalised me, though. Japanese Giant Hornets are very… determined, once they start stinging.

 

 **SADAMU:** I keep cases like those in my greenhouses, to quarantine them off from the rest of my hives. I’m trying to train them, but it’s proven harder than I expected. Hornets… they have a different language to bees, and I’m not yet fluent.

 

 **JIN:** Well… maybe once I find a way out of here, you’ll be able to finally learn.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Smiling warmly] That would be nice. I sure hope my family is taking good care of my colonies… my mother was never the biggest fan of them. Says they scare the cat too much.

 

 **JIN:** How many colonies do you have, exactly?

 

 _If they’re usually maintained by just him, they can’t be too many… even if there_ **_is_ ** _a wide selection._

 

 **SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] Hmm… If I had to guess, I’d say it’s around a couple hundred.

 

 **JIN:** A couple _hundred?!_

 

 **SADAMU:** [Startled; flower falling out of hair] Ah! You must think I’m mistreating them-! I swear it isn’t like that, Jin. I know that it’s recommended to only have around 35 colonies in an apiary, but mine is a lot bigger than most people’s…

 

 **SADAMU:** I space my colonies out across many farms. Sure, there’s the main one on _my_ farm, around 50 hives strong- but the other 150 are spaced across five sister farms. It’s a bit of a hassle to visit them, so I have this whole schedule going…  

 

 **SADAMU:** [Looking to the side] Ah, but I’m probably boring you… all this talk about apiculture, and none about detective work. I’m sure you have some interesting stories too, Jin.

 

 **JIN:** Of course I do, but a lot of it’s either confidential or just busywork. The majority of my cases are about cheating husbands… it’s quite rare that I get to work on more challenging crimes. Those are usually the international ones.

 

 **SADAMU:** Oh? Have you ever been to France?

 

 **JIN:** Once. But that’s one of the confidential cases. I don’t know much of the language or culture, though… I was too busy to be a tourist.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Disappointed; tugging on lock of hair] _Quel dommage…_ Truth be told, I’ve never been to France either. I’m far too busy taking care of my colonies. Not that I’m complaining.

 

_Sadamu looked away, before plucking a few more flowers. He pulled off one of his gloves, poking holes in the stems with his fingernails. Every time he poked a hole, he’d thread another flower through the gap in the stem and start weaving them together. It was interesting to watch- even if I had no idea what he was doing._

 

_By the end of it, he had created a circular chain of flowers. He looked over to me, picked up the flower loop, and placed it into my head._

 

 **SADAMU:** [Smiling warmly] _Ç'est beau._

 

_I touched the loop, softly stroking my fingertips over the petals._

 

 **JIN:** What is it?

 

 **SADAMU:** It’s a flower crown. Didn’t you make them as a child?

 

 **JIN:** Never really had much of a childhood.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Disappointed; tugging on lock of hair] _Nous sommes plus semblables que je ne le pensais…_

 

 **JIN:** It’s nice, though. Do you want me to make you one?

 

 **SADAMU:** Ah… no, this is fine. I already have enough flowers for now.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Looking to the side] It’s been nice talking to you, Jin, but I believe it’s time for lunch. Would you like to accompany me back into the mess hall?

 

 **JIN:** Yeah, sure.

 

_It’d be better than having to deal with an entire group of people. Sadamu stood up, grabbing my arm and pulling me up with him. He doesn’t seem to have a concept of personal space… maybe he didn’t have very many friends before._

 

_Well, that’s one thing we have in common._

 

_The trip to the mess hall was uneventful, Sadamu humming a simple tune under his breath as we walked. I didn’t take the flower crown off of my head- it really was nice. It made me feel a little bit lighter, like I was taking some of the calm atmosphere the field radiated with me. Sadamu held open the hatch as I climbed down into the mess hall, and followed after me a few seconds later._

 

 **HANA:** [Startled; clutching spoon] Gah-! I didn’t expect y’all to be comin’ down here so soon!

 

_Hana was waiting for us, standing in the doorway leading to the kitchen and clutching a batter-covered spoon._

 

 **SADAMU:** [Apologetic; hands loosely clasped] Ah, my apologies. I’m guessing the kitchen is busy right now? I can come back when you’re done.

 

_Hana put down the spoon, looking us up and down for a few seconds._

 

 **HANA:** [Thinking; resting chin on fingers] Hmm… Well, I could use an assistant.

 

 **SADAMU:** I’d be more than happy to help.

 

 **HANA:** Nah, not you… no offense, but yer just a _little_ too big to squeeze into the kitchen with me. I wouldn’t want y’all gettin’ hurt now…

 

 **HANA:** [Realisation; pointing] But yer absolutely perfect!

 

_Oh… she’s pointing at me._

 

_It would be rude to refuse, right?_

 

_Spend time with Hana?_

**> >Yes**

No

 

 **JIN:** I… I suppose I can help.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Smiling warmly] Ah, Jin, you’re so selfless. Let me know when the food is ready, okay? I will be in my cabin.

 

_And with that, Sadamu turned and started climbing back up the ladder. Hana scurried over to me, grabbing my wrist and enthusiastically pulling me into the kitchen._

 

_It was almost overwhelming how much food was being prepared. The singular stove in the kitchen space was covered with pots and pans, and the counter spaces were absolutely cluttered with bowls and chopping boards. It looked like Hana was preparing enough food for a three course feast, not a simple lunch for sixteen highschoolers._

 

 **HANA:** [Busy; grabbing bowl] Now now, Jin, I want you to go ahead an’ grab one o’ them choppin’ boards and start cuttin’. The tofu needs ta’ be diced- _macedoine_ , please- an’ the lettuce needs ta’ be shredded, and I need those carrots cut in that _jardiniere_ style.

 

 **HANA:** Oh, an’ for the lettuce, don’t even _think_ about cuttin’ them all _chiffonade_ -like. This is for a salad, an’ it needs’ta be hearty an’ fillin’, not some fancy-pants side dish for rich folks who can throw ten thousand yen at a chef and get rat pickin’s as a meal.

 

 **JIN:** Woah, woah, can you slow down? I don’t know what half those words mean.

 

 **HANA:** [Awkward; coming hand through hair] Aw, shucks, I’m sorry Jin. I kinda got caught up in the heat of the moment. I miss my old kitchen, y’know? It felt good to have an assistant again.

 

_Hana walked over to one of the cutting boards, taking a knife and beginning to slice the carrot lying on it._

 

 **HANA:** [Cutting carrots] This is how you do a _jardiniere_ precision cut. It’s a vegetable baton cut 4mm by 4mm by 20mm. Now, you try.

 

_Hana handed the knife to me, and I tried my hardest to get it right. They were a bit uneven, but it was easier than I expected to judge how big they were- probably because I had Hana’s perfectly-made ones as a reference._

 

 **HANA:** [Proud; two fingers held up] Yer doin’ real good, sweetheart. Do ya wanna try dippin’ the shrimp an’ squid into the batter bowl over there? I’m makin’ tempura.

 

 **JIN:** But what about the chopping?

 

 **HANA:** Honey, you’re real good at it, but if I have to explain every precision cut I tell ya ta do, this is gonna take a while.

 

_Well, that made sense. It was still a little bit embarrassing, though. My culinary skills pretty much amassed to microwaving a glass of water and then pouring it into some cup ramen._

 

_The squid and shrimp had already been pre-prepared, so it was easy enough to dip them. There was a lot, though. Way too much for all of us… unless people ate until they were absolutely stuffed. And this was only one meal out of several…_

 

 **JIN:** Hana, don’t you think that a lot of this is just… excessive?

 

 **HANA:** [Distracted; back facing Jin] Hmm?

 

 **JIN:** There’s too much food here for us to eat.

 

 **HANA:**...Ah.

 

 **HANA:** Sorry, I guess I got carried away again…

 

 **JIN:** Are you used to cooking for a lot of people?

 

 **HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] Er… you sure got that right, Jin. But that’s the past, right? No use talking about it now. Just focus on the tempura, and I’ll focus on my chopping.

 

 _She_ **_really_ ** _hates talking about her career… which is strange, because she seems to love cooking so much. And there’s something_ **_off_ ** _about the way she’s speaking right now…_

 

_Ah._

 

 **JIN:** You’re not really from the country, are you?

 

 **HANA:** [Biting lip; sweating profusely] Er… what makes you say that? I- I’m not a liar!

 

 **JIN:** Well, for one, you’ve forgotten to use your accent.

 

 **HANA:** …!

 

 **HANA:** Ah- er- well, you see…

 

 **HANA:** [Sad, sighing] You figured me out, Jin. I’m not really a country girl. I was born and raised in the big city, and I… I’ve lived there forever.

 

 **HANA:** I’ve never even _visited_ the countryside.

 

_Hana looked visibly crushed that I’d figured her out. She was staring at the ground, and looked even smaller than she usually did. Still, I couldn’t stop now. I needed to know why she’d put on the act._

 

 **JIN:** So why lie about it? People don’t- usually, you know, it’s the other way around.

 

 **HANA:** [Picking up spoon; fidgeting with it] Yeah, I know… I just like the idea of being a nobody. Just a simple country cook, who nobody places huge expectations on but can still make good food.

 

 **JIN:** Then why join Hope’s Peak? If you hate the exposure so much, why go through more of it?

 

_It’s not that I can’t relate, though. It’s not like I want to be known for my detective skills, either. In fact, that’s pretty much the opposite of what I want. Maybe if I turned down the acceptance letter, I could have found freedom another way… one that didn’t involve a homicidal teddy bear._

 

 **HANA:** Same reason I’m a cook in the first place. I did it for my restaurant.

 

 **HANA:** My family resteraunt has given everything to me. Fame, fortune, friends, and a place where I can just lose myself, even for a little bit. I thought… I thought joining Hope’s Peak was just a small way to repay them. Being a Super High School Level student is certainly _one_ way to get more publicity… even if I _personally_ want to stay out of the limelight.

 

 **JIN:** Oh…

 

 _Now that’s something I_ **_can’t_ ** _relate to._

 

 **HANA:** [Determined; hands balled into fists] But one day I’ll follow my own dreams! I’ll move to a nice place in the Kochi Prefecture, and I’ll start my own diner! The Hanamura Diner, a family-run business that’s known only to the locals an’ whatever tourist is lucky enough to stumble upon it.

 

 **HANA:** I’ll have three kids- two boys an’ a girl- and I’ll teach ‘em the ways of the kitchen. An’ maybe, one day, they’ll be able to take over the mantle when I get a bit too old to run it anymore.

 

 **JIN:** That’s… certainly a very _specific_ dream.

 

 **HANA:** [Awkward; running hands through hair] Heh, maybe I got just a _liiiiittle_ too specific ‘round the finer details.

 

 **HANA:** But we all gotta have a dream, right? Or else we’d all just shrivel up like a piece a’ spinach put in a fryin’ pan!

 

 **HANA:** [Thinking; resting chin on fingers] What’s your dream, Jin?

 

 _I thought about it for a few seconds. What_ **_was_ ** _my dream? Sure I wanted to get free of the Kirigiri Clan, but other than that, I didn’t really have very many ambitions. What did I want to_ **_do_ ** _with my life? Shit, I don’t know._

 

_...Maybe I’d get something simple, but still high-profile. Rub it into Fuhito’s face that he couldn’t keep me in his personal hellscape. Something symbolic… so he’d always be reminded of my freedom._

 

_I think I know the perfect dream._

 

 **JIN:** I want to be the principal of Hope’s Peak.

 

_That’d avoid any actual teaching jobs, and the administrative work seemed simple enough._

 

 **HANA:** [Determined; fists clenched] That’s a great dream, Jin. Promise me that you’ll work towards it as hard as you can, alright?

 

 **HANA:** If ya do, I’ll personally invite ya down to Kochi to try some of my world-class, home-cooked meals!

 

 **HANA:** If my cookin’s this good as a kid, just imagine how delicious it’ll be in’ ten or twenty years!

 

_My stomach rumbled at the thought. I went back to the tempura, dipping the last few shrimps in the batter. The sooner I got this done, the sooner I could get to eat._

 

 **JIN:** I think I’m all done here. Do you need me to drop these in a pot or something?

 

 **HANA:** [Grabbing plate of tempura] No, no, I can do that. I wouldn’t want ya gettin’ hurt by some stray oil, would I? You can check on the soup- I don’t want it boilin’ over, ya know? Make sure it’s on a gentle simmer.

 

_I followed Hana’s instruction, checking on the large pot of soup. It seemed silly that I could do this and not cook the tempura- but maybe “stay safe from the oil” was Hana’s way of saying “I don’t want you messing up the entire meal”. The soup seemed to be okay- not that I could really tell the difference between a boil and a simmer. At least it wasn’t spitting boiling water everywhere, so it was probably still good._

 

 **JIN:** Is there… anything else I can do? Just standing here is a bit… boring, really.

 

 **HANA:** [Thinking; resting chin on fingers] Hmm… You know how to steam rice, right?

 

_Thankfully, yes._

 

 **JIN:** I’m not _completely_ hopeless in a kitchen.

 

 **HANA:** Good, good… if you could prepare enough rice for us all, that’d be a real big help. Make sure ta’ leave some for leftovers!

 

_I moved away from the stove, quickly locating the rice cooker. There was a bag of rice just… sitting next to it. Apparently, whoever designed this kitchen hadn’t heard of a pantry._

 

_I scooped out what I hoped was enough, loading up the rice cooker. I added the water, trying my hardest to leave enough space for the rice to expand. I didn’t want to break the rice cooker the first time I used it._

 

_It didn’t take too long for it to start cooking. Maybe there’d still be some more interesting work left for m-_

 

 **HANA:** [Proud; two fingers held up] All done! As soon as the rice finishes, I can start dishin’ this out!

 

 _I looked over to the meals that seemed to have suddenly materialized out of the previous clutter. Pots of steaming hot soup, dishes overflowing with shrimp and squid tempura, a few plates of salad, a large grilled fish that I hadn’t even_ **_noticed_ ** _Hana cooking… how are we going to eat all of this?_

 

 **JIN:** That’s… uh. Wow.

 

 **HANA:** Mmhmm! I bet ya can’t wait to start gobblin’ it down! If you could be a dear an’ go and get the other classmates, we can start eatin’ while it’s still hot!

 

_Wordlessly, I nodded and started sprinting to the ladder. Hana’s food had left me in a sort of trance, and I hadn’t even eaten it yet!_

 

_Sadamu was still in his cabin, just like he said he’d be. Isana was there too, passed out her bed with a bunch of empty sherbert wrappers scattered around her. Sugar coma, then. Sadamu was shaking her gently, evidently trying to wake her up, but she kept on snoring loudly._

 

 **JIN:** Do you need any help with that?

 

_Sadamu turned to face me, letting go of Isana and sighing._

 

 **SADAMU:** [Looking to the side] I tried to warn her not to eat so much sugar, but she still… Anyway. It’s no use trying to wake her up now.

 

 **SADAMU:** I guess this means that lunch is ready? Isana’s already eaten too much for one day, anyway. After I’ve had my fill, I’ll go back trying to wake her up.

 

_Sadamu stood, walking past me and heading to the mess hall. He paused after the first few steps, looking over his shoulder at me._

 

 **SADAMU:** Say, Jin? If you’d like to go ahead and get some food, I can tell the other classmates that lunch is ready. You look like you need food a lot more than I do.

 

 _I ran my hands over my sides, somewhat self-consciously. I wasn’t_ **_that_ ** _skinny, was I?_

 

 **JIN:** That’d actually be a lot of help, Sadamu. Thanks.

 

 **SADAMU:** _De rien._

 

_Sadamu headed off to the other cabins, and I walked back towards the mess hall. Apparently, a few people must have somehow sensed that lunch was ready, because there was already a small crowd standing outside the hatch._

 

 **MAIKU:** [Mouth watering; licking lips] Oh, I bet Miss Hana has really outdone herself today! I can smell the feast from up here!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] Hmm. You can’t judge how well a meal is prepared simply on smell. You have to keep in mind taste, mouthfeel, texture-

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Angry; fist clenched] Yeah, who cares! I’m fuckin’ starving! Hurry up and get down, you're blocking the line!

 

 **TAICHI (Voice):** I-I'm your greatest a-asset right now! D-Don't talk to me l-like that! 

 

 **TOKIYA:** Climb faster!

 

_Evidently, Taichi must have followed the order, because Tokiya was clambering down the ladder two seconds later. Maiku followed him, and then Shizuya. I walked towards the hatch, peering down it to make sure that they hadn’t all landed in a crumpled mess. With the coast clear, I could get down the ladder as well, and into the mess hall… only to find half the camp sitting down and choking down as much food as they could._

 

_So much for getting Sadamu to notify everyone… I hope he wasn’t still looking for all of them._

 

_I sat down next to Kotohiko, who was eagerly chatting to Koichi. Now there’s a friendship that I didn’t expect would happen…_

 

 _No, Jin, you’re not going to get jealous of your friend having other friends. Even if he_ **_did_ ** _say that you were the only person he could trust._

 

 **JIN:** Hey, Kotohiko.

 

_Kotohiko turned around, smiling brightly at me and gently prodding me with his fork._

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Starry-eyed; drooling] Jin, you have to try the tempura! It’s _soooooo_ good!

 

_Kotohiko grabbed my plate and began loading it up with way too much food. God, I can’t eat that… but he looks so excited about it. I might as well try._

 

 **JIN:** I actually helped cook the tempura- er, well, I dipped it in the batter.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Woah, really? Jin! You’re a culinary master!

 

 **JIN:** That might be pushing it a little bit.

 

 _I stuck my fork in the tempura- (isn’t it odd they provided us with silverware but not chopsticks?)- and ate a bite. It really_ **_was_ ** _good. Before I knew what was happening, I was digging into the plate of food with wild abandon. Kotohiko did the same, and my eating frenzy was only interrupted with the arrival of Sadamu._

 

 **SADAMU:** [Disappointed; tugging on lock of hair] I apologise, Jin, but I couldn’t find everybo-

 

 _Sadamu stopped mid-sentence, surveying the crowd of people feasting in front of him. He looked over his shoulder at the few camp members he_ **_did_ ** _manage to find- Minon, Renma, and Hiroko._

 

 **SADAMU:** [Neutral] Ah. I see you’ve already started…

 

 **KOICHI:** [Embarrassed; covering face with hat] Ah, sorry about that! I was trying to tell everyone to come down here for lunch, but I must have skipped over you four…

 

 **SADAMU:** [Smiling warmly] If that’s the case, then it’s absolutely fine.

 

_Sadamu walked over to the table, grabbing himself a chair. I few flowers fell out of his braid at the action, fluttering down onto the table._

 

 **RENMA:** [Annoyed; arms crossed] Tch. I cannot accept your measly apology, mortal.

 

 **RENMA:** [Enraged; hands curled into claws] How am I meant to appreciate my Dark Mistress’s devilish rituals if I am not properly notified by you powerless worms?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] Can you quit it with the cult act already?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Whispering] I mean, it’s not that she can really help it… if my research is correct.

 

 **RENMA:** _Hah!_ An act?! I was chosen by the dark ones, you know! I was born from darkness, entrenched in the bowels of hell! I was pulled from my demonic womb by my former master, and now I have risen above even him!

 

 **RENMA:** [Fringe flying up; eyes glowing red] **_I AM THE GREAT RENMA TANAKA, AND I AM ABOVE YOU MORTAL SCUM!_ **

 

 **RENMA:** [Blushing; twiddling fingers] Ah… except for my Dark Mistress, although I’m sure she’s not even mortal at all… she has the same disfigurements as those marked by the dark lords.

 

 **HANA:** [Shocked; eyes blown wide] Uh, a-actually I’m j-just a little p-person.

 

 **RENMA:** [Smirking; arms crossed] Feh, and I’m just a sufferer of “ _Marfan Syndrome_ ”. Mortal doctors will take any excuse to explain away personally reasonable demonic activity!

 

 **MINON:** [Sarcastic; eyebrow raised] …Remind me which one is… unrealistic again…?

 

_The bickering continued, and I tuned out of it, sweeping my gaze over the rest of my classmates. With Isana still sleeping, there were 14 students, including me… but Takaaki was missing. That’s odd. He doesn’t seem the type to miss a meal, especially if Ruka is going to be there with him._

 

 **JIN:** Has anyone seen Takaaki?

 

_The room fell silent at that, everyone looking around them and trying to spot the police officer._

 

 **RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] He was gone before I woke up this morning.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] I didn’t bother to come and collect him for lunch. I assumed if he was hungry he would just make his own way here.

 

 **RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] Oh, come on, this stupid feud between the two of you has to end sometime!

 

 **SADAMU:** [Scowling; hair covering eyes] It will when he stops _stalking_ me.

 

 **RUKA:** You know he’s legally required to keep tabs on you, right? You’re a witness!

 

 **SADAMU:** I am not quite sure that is how the law works.

 

_I sighed, standing up and pacing towards the ladder._

 

 **JIN:** Look, I’ll find him. Everyone else… enjoy your meal.

 

_I already had more than a fair share of it, anyway… it’d be enough to tide me over until dinner time._

 

_Wow, look at you, Jin. You’re going to eat dinner. Aren’t you the big eater all of a sudden?_

 

_…_

 

_Fuck. I have to stop thinking shit like that._

 

_..._

 

_It wasn’t too hard to find Takaaki. Despite what I expected- and what the rest of the class seemed to expect too- he wasn’t dead. Just sitting on the edge of the bridge, dangling his bare toes into the water of the frog pond. His boots were unlaced and thrown haphazardly next to him, and he was chucking stones into the lake. I would have guessed he was skipping them, if not for the power he put into his throws. He was trying to sink them._

 

 **JIN:**...Takaaki.

 

_Takaaki looked over his shoulder at me, tossing me a rock. I barely caught it, fumbling around with it for a few seconds and trying not to let it slip out of my fingers._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Neutral; crossing arms] I’m guessing you’re here to get me down to lunch. Don’t bother. I could overhear Yasuhiro prattling on about it to Yoshihama, and I’m _not interested._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** But if you’re here to shoot the shit and chuck rocks, then I guess I wouldn’t mind your fuckin’ esteemed company, rookie.

 

_Spend time with Takaaki?_

**> >I guess…**

No

 

_I sat down next to Takaaki, grabbing a rock from his pile and running my thumb over it. It was slightly damp, and slicked with moss. He must have picked it up from the very edges of the pond. I looked over to him, watching him chuck another rock into the water. This one hit a lily pad, but it was just a little too small to sink it._

 

_I tossed my own rock, aiming for the same lily pad. It missed. I guess there’s a reason why I’m not the Super High School Level Pitcher._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** You’re an awful shot.

 

 **JIN:** I’m _aware._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Picking up rock] Watch this.

 

_This one was a larger rock, almost twice the size of the last one. He hurled it into the water at full force, and it landed directly onto the lily pad, dunking it under the water._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Wry smile; resting jaw on fist] Now _that’s_ how you fuckin’ throw.

 

 **JIN:** You’re the one with police training.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Leaning forward; sadistic smile] _Exactly._ And that’s why I’m the more _qualified_ person here. So if a murder happens, I expect you keep your fuckin’ ass outta the crime scene.

 

 **JIN:** And how am I meant to know _you’re_ not the murderer.

 

 **JIN:** You confessed to wanting to bring a gun to school, after all.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] You really think I’m gonna kill anyone?

 

 **JIN:** I wouldn’t put it past you.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Impressed; head cocked to the side] Heh. You’re sharper than I thought, rookie.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] Though there’s only one bastard here I _would_ kill. Yasuhiro. If he ends up dead… _well_ , you know who to suspect.

 

 **JIN:** And _why_ do you hate Sadamu so much?

 

 _Probably because he’s a decent fucking person and Takaaki clearly_ **_isn’t_ ** _._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Can’t tell you the finer details, but let’s just say we met at work.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] Fucked my sister, too. I can’t forgive him for _that_ little transgression.

 

_...Oh._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Legally, I’m not allowed to tell you anything else. But if _I_ end up dead… there’s about a ninety percent chance that Yasuhiro was behind it.

 

 **JIN:** That’s if we’re still here when the killing starts.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Leaning forward; sadistic smile] Hah! As if there _isn’t_ going to be any killing. That’s just how these things work out, rookie.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Not that I’d expect _you_ to know.

 

 **JIN:** You do realise I’ve investigated murders _too_ . I’m far from a rookie. I’m probably more experienced than _you_.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] Oh? The black sheep of the Kirigiri Clan is more experienced with crime scenes as a member of the fuckin’ police? That’s wry.

 

 **JIN:** At least I was raised around this shit since _birth._ How’d you get into the police force, huh? Nepotism?

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Wry smile; resting jaw on fist] Well, yeah.

 

_I… didn’t expect him to admit that so casually._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** What, are you surprised? It doesn’t take a fuckin’ _genius_ to figure it out. My dad’s runnin’ for fuckin’ prime minister, rookie. Of _course_ I got in through nepotism.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Doesn’t make me a bad cop.

 

 **JIN:** Makes you a bad person, though.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Leaning forward; sadistic smile] That’s rich, coming from _you._ Don’t think I forgot about the case with the Samidare family. All that evidence appearing out of _nowhere_ once you were on the case? Suspicious.

 

 **JIN:** Mr Samidare was innocent. I was just proving that.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** _Right._

 

_The atmosphere grew tense and heavy between us, and Takaaki stopped throwing his rocks idly into the lake. Instead, he pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his breast pocket, and lit one._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Holding cigarette between two fingers] Want a cig?

 

 **JIN:** I don’t smoke.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Taking drag] Good. You shouldn’t.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Blowing smoke] It’s good for the nerves, but bad for. Y’know. Your survival.

 

 **JIN:** Well, we’re in a Killing Game. _Everything’s_ bad for our survival.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Holding cigarette between two fingers] Heh, that’s true.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Who do you reckon will crack first? My money’s on Kizakura.

 

 **JIN:** He wouldn’t.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Eh, you never know. He’s a kid with a shady backstory, and he’s just a _little_ too much of a pollyanna for it to be genuine.

 

 **JIN:**...I think it’s going to be Taichi, if anyone.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Taking drag] Going for the obvious choice, huh?

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Blowing smoke] But good call. Kid’s got a few brain cells loose up there.

 

 **JIN:** That’s not a nice thing to say, Takaaki.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Putting out cigarette on back of hand] What can I say? I’m not a nice person.

 

 _I winced at the action, watching as he flicked the butt of the cigarette into the water. How can he put out a burning hot cigarette on his_ **_skin_ ** _?_

 

 **JIN:** Doesn’t that hurt?

 

_I gestured towards his hand._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Looking at burn mark] Eh, not really. It’s an old habit.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Picking up rock] Anyway… the trick to a good throw, rookie, is to imagine a poor fuckin’ bastard’s face on the target.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** I imagine my father. Fucked-up-kid to fucked-up-kid, I’m gonna bet you’ll imagine the same.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Holding up rock to the light] Neglect has a certain kinda aura ‘round it.

 

 **JIN:** He’s not my father. He’s _Fuhito_.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** I like your style. ‘Spose my old man’s just _Toranosuke_ , then.

 

 **JIN:** How can you be neglected and still get your job through _nepotism_?

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Throwing rock] Eh, it takes a special kinda person to see his kid as a source of fame ‘nd prestige and not an actual person.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Gesturing widely; mocking] Gather round, gather round! Everyone look at _Toranosuke Ishimaru_ , the candidate we can _trust!_ His kid’s on the police force, you know, and he only forgets to feed him _twice a week!_

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Neutral; arms crossed] Guess I don’t have to worry about that _now_ , huh?

 

 **JIN:** Unless you _purposefully_ skip meals.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] Pot, meet Kettle.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Handing over rock] Have a go at it. Chuck it at that pad over there and imagine _Fuhito_ ’s face plastered over it.

 

_I took the rock, looking over to the lily pad and imagining Fuhito staring back at me. I threw the rock as hard as I could, and the force of it managed to briefly submerge the lily pad underwater._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Wry smile; resting jaw on fist] There ya go! You’ll be a world-class pitcher in no time.

 

_Takaaki stretched, flashing me another one of his strange smiles. It didn’t reach his eyes._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Well, sorry to cut this short, but I’m gonna try and get myself a meal. Hopefully, everyone’s cleared out by now.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** I know you probably want to spend hours “getting to know me”, or whatever, but you really shouldn’t bother, rookie.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** But if a murder happens… heh, well. You know who to call.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Somebody said murder?

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Pulling out gun] Cut the shit, Monokuma. I’m not in the mood.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] What’re you gonna do, Takatakataka? Shoot me with your _fake_ gun?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** You should stop playing with those, you know! You’ll take your eye out!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Shooting cap] I’d be a whole lot worse than just an eye if I had my _real_ one. If you’re meant to be advocating for murder, why’d you take it?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] Because I want this to be _fair_ , of course! It’s not nice if you have a weapon and nobody else does!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** I mean, the only _real_ advantage anyone has here is muscle mass! And I’m sorry to say, but Sadamu has you completely beat! Upupupupupu!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] _He’s_ not the one with years of police training.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] Uh-huh! Neither of you are, Mister Nepotism!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Just because I got in because of my father _doesn’t_ mean I don’t have training.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Yeah, yeah, but you’re not six foot eleven and have giant grizzly man hands!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Face it, bastard, when you cut it down to the core you’re just as vulnerable as every other schmuck here!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Furious; nails biting into palms] Fuck you! Fuck you, fuck you! I’m going to get out of here, and when I do, I’m going to _kill_ you.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Oh? Did I hit a nerve?

 

_Takaaki stormed past Monokuma, disappearing into the woods._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Do _you_ think I hit a nerve, Jin?

 

 **JIN:** What do you think.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Belly laughing] Pwahahahahahaha! I think I _did!_

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; looking at floor] It’s a shame, though… he stormed away before I could get to the _really_ despairing parts.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Afterall, it’s time for my Super-Special Monokuma Presentation! Secrets will be revealed! Motives will be given! Murder will be a-plenty!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] So move your ass down to the amphitheatre! If you hurry, you’ll be the first one there! Attendance is _mandatory!_

 

_Monokuma waddled away after telling me that. Sighing, I turned to go follow him. But not before kicking the rest of the rock pile into the lake. It’s what Takaaki would have wanted… I think. I didn’t really care. Watching them fall into the water was just satisfying. Especially if I took Takaaki’s advice and imagined Fuhito’s face in the ripples._

 

_The amphitheatre had completely changed since last night. There were large monitors everywhere, and huge speakers lining the edges of the stage. There was even an odd-looking machine at the very back of the stage, which seemed to have seats going all around it. Weird._

 

_I sat down on one of the steps, waiting for the rest of my classmates to arrive. Most of them came in a huge clump, heading from the direction of the mess hall. A couple of stragglers came next- people who had assumedly finished their food early. And then, last but not least, came Takaaki. He was swearing up a storm, and he was being dragged by Monokuma by his wrist._

 

_He sat down next to Ruka, still grumbling, and Monokuma hopped down the steps to get to the stage._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tapping microphone] Testing, testing!

 

_His voice, already quite loud, was being amplified by the giant speakers. God, this was going to give me a headache._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] You may be wondering why I’ve dragged you all down here today. But you shouldn’t! As your headmaster and chief supervisor, I can drag you bastards wherever I please, with no explanation!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Buuuuuuut, I _do_ have an explanation for this! I’m going to be revealing your _motive!_

 

 **HIROKO:** [Heckling] A motive for what? Us to kick you in the balls?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] Lucky for me, Monokuma units don’t _have_ any balls! So your threat is null and void!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** But really, this is a _very special motive._ This is my motive to _kickstart the Killing Game!_

 

 _A wave of dread washed over us. I should have expected this. This_ **_was_ ** _the most likely way to get us to murder, after all… I could only hope that it wasn’t too severe. If it was, then my willpower would have to be put through one brutal test, and I wasn’t sure I would pass._

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Thinking; clutching cravat] I thought that our motive was to escape?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] Yeah, and look where _that_ got you! You’re all still buddy-buddy! It’s sickening!

 

_Monokuma started pacing around the stage, pulling a remote control out of… somewhere. I preferred not to think about it._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Now, I had a lot of ideas for what could be our first motive. Traditionally, it’s me threatening someone you love! But seeing as a few of you don’t seem to _have_ loved ones… I’ve had to think of something different.

 

_Monokuma switched on the monitors with his remote, all of them displaying the Hope’s Peak school crest._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** I could have taken away your talents, or raised the temperature until you all fried to death, or even given you a strange and contrived disease that would get the ball rolling!

 

_As he spoke, the motives he mentioned flashed on the screen- first an illustration of our class in “regular” high school uniforms, then of a forest burning down, then a syringe with the words “Despair Disease” written on it._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Buuuuuuut, eventually I decided to go with something a _little_ less complicated, and a _lot_ more generous!

 

 **RUKA:** [Thinking; fingers touching bottom lip] You know… locking us up here is _hardly_ “generous”.

 

 **TOKIYA:** [Annoyed; face palming] Yeah, and there are cameras everywhere, too! We can’t even have _fun_ here!

 

 **MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on sleeve] I wonder what _your_ definition of _fun_ is, Sir Souda…

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Disgusted; covering mouth with hand] Isn’t it _obvious_ … Monokuma, if you’re so _generous_ , you wouldn’t mind killing Souda… right?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] Hey, I can’t kill any students directly! It’s against the rules!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Ugh, some help _you_ are.

 

 **TAICHI:** [Cowering; clutching hair] Nghhh… he’s g-going to kill us all anyway!

 

 **TAICHI:** D-directly _or_ indirectly!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Happy; holding belly] That’s the plan!~

 

 **HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] Yer so damn sick…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** That’s just how us Monokumas are! You should try being more tolerant of us for a change! Despair is a wonderful influence on your life!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] Maybe I should host a seminar on it!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] Feh. Pick a more specific topic before you start.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Huh? You think despair is too broad a subject?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** More like it’s ill-defined to begin with. What _is_ despair? Is it just an emotion tied to tragedy? Or is it something else? It’s not a tangible force. The loss of hope can be frustrating, but for cynics and pessimists it’s natural.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** A seminar on something so vague? Please. You wouldn’t have a single attendee.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; looking at floor] …

 

 **MONOKUMA:** I’m hurt… truly, deeply hurt…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Belly laughter] _Not!_ Your insults just make me even more despairing, and that’s how I like it baby!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Disgusted; covering mouth with hand] Ghhhuh. You’re going to make me lose my lunch.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Nervous sweating] Ewie ewie ewie! Don’t do that!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Not on my nice motive stage!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Pulling out gun] Speaking of motives, are you gonna fuckin’ tell us about them? Or did you drag us out here for nothing?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] I’m getting on it!

 

_The monitors flickered, now displaying children’s handwriting that read “MONOKUMA’S AWESOME MOTIVE!”, and a small doodle of Monokuma in the corner._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Putting away gun] Did… did you write that?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Stifling laughter] Pfft… that’s just _sad_.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] Hey! It’s hard to hold a pen with these paws! I don’t even have fingers!

 

 **MINON:** …My handwriting looks kinda like that…

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing] A-ha! So you’re the mastermind!

 

 **MINON:** [Sarcastic; eyebrow raised] Right… because I’m apparently a member of the _government_ …

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Panicked; tugging on collar] _Another_ confession?!

 

 **MINON:**...I was being sarcastic.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Conflicted; wincing] Oh…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Pissed; neutral position] A-hem!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** No more interruptions, bastards! Don’t you want to know the motive?

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] God, _please_ , just hurry up.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Alright! So, so, sooooo… our Ultra Special, Ultra Unique, and Ultra Despairing Motive is this…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Er… can I get a drumroll?

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Furious; nails digging into palms] _JUST SPIT IT OUT!_

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Sheesh, fine…

 

_The monitors changed again, this time to show a picture of Hope’s Peak Academy._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Belly laughing] Upupupu! You’re all missing some memories! A year’s worth of them, actually!

 

 _Everyone froze in shock, staring up at Monokuma. I gulped, feeling ice suddenly run through my veins. Missing memories...? Hell, if space travel on this scale was possible, then forced memory loss wasn’t too unbelievable… but I still didn’t want to believe it. How could I just be_ **_missing_ ** _a year’s worth of memories… and I never even noticed?_

 

 **JIN:** That’s… that’s ridiculous. We’d have noticed if we were missing memories.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest] A year’s worth of scoops? Gone?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] You see, Jin, the thing about missing memories is that you _don’t_ notice they’re gone. That’s kinda the point!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Pulling out gun] It’s still bullshit.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Oh? The great Takaaki Ishimaru doubts me?

 

_The monitors flickered for a few seconds, before displaying a photograph. Two students were in it, arms wrapped around each other and smiling. The one to the right was obviously Takaaki, although he looked a lot happier. The dark circles around his eyes were gone, and he was smiling wider than I’d ever seen him._

 

_The boy to his left was Taichi, hair grown out slightly into a longer bob. He looked about as happy as Takaaki, albeit a bit less enthusiastic. Takaaki and Taichi, the real-life versions, whirled around to face each other._

 

 **TAICHI:** [Accusing; shakily pointing] I-It has t-to be f-faked! I’d n-never be friends w-with a g-government agent!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Ha! Believe that all you want, but it’s never gonna be the truth!

 

 **KOICHI:** [Hesitant; biting finger] Uh… I don’t really see how this is generous at all. You’ve taken something from us, not given us anything…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] Upupu! And that’s where _Phase Two_ of the motive sets in!

 

 **KOICHI:**...There’s a phase two?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Pfft, did you think that would be enough? That’s already been done a thousand times! Amnesia plots have grown stale by now!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] But what _hasn’t_ gotten old is the very reverse- a little something I like to call: _Monokuma’s Despairingly Generous Memory Return System!_

 

 **MINON:** [Absent; sucking on fingers] ...That’s a bit of a mouthful…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** I’m a fan of wordy titles, what can I say?

 

_Monokuma pressed a button, and the monitors started displaying diagrams and blueprints of the strange machine at the back of the stage._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Developed in top-secret laboratories, scientists have finally solved the age-old question of how to permanently cure amnesia! Dementia, strokes, alzheimer's- all would be no more once this bad boy rolled out en masse!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] Upupupu! But that was _way_ too expensive! So instead, the scientists decided to use this marvellous machine as an even more marvellous motive in Monokuma’s Marvellous Murder Mania!

 

_Monokuma waddled up to the machine, pressing a few buttons on an outside console. It sprung to life, bright lights flashing around it. A soft humming filled the amphitheatre._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** So, step up, you bastards! Your memories aren’t going to be replacing themselves!

 

 **JIN:** ...I fail to see how _this_ is a motive.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Head tilted; paw touching mouth] Huh?

 

 **JIN:** I mean… isn’t this just giving us back a good thing? How are our _memories_ going to make us kill?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Belly laughing] Puhuhuhu, you haven’t even heard the best part yet! This is a _modified_ memory machine!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] ...Modified?

 

 **JIN:**...This can’t be good.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** You got that right, buckaroo! This memory machine has been designed to give you only your most _despairing_ memories back!

 

_Our entire group froze once again. I almost felt my heart stop. Only our most… despairing memories?_

 

 _There couldn’t be anything_ **_too_ ** _bad, right?_

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Head tilted; paw touching mouth] Oh, and did I mention that participation in this motive is _mandatory?_

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Belly laughing] Gwahahahahahahahahaha! Upupupupupu!

 

_It was clear that nobody wanted to go. But somehow, we all found ourselves being steadily pushed forward, even without us trying to move._

 

 **ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] Gah! I’m being pushed!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] You can thank my nanobots for that!

 

_The nanobots were too strong for any of us to resist, and we were all slowly dragged to our doom. They forced me to sit down in one of the chairs, and a large dome slowly descended to cover my head. I wanted to move my arms up to get rid of it, but I was being held down by a near-crushing force._

 

 **TAICHI (Voice):** _No!_ I don’t want to- I don’t want to be brainwashed! _Getitoffgetitoffgetitoff!_

 

 **MONOKUMA (Voice):** Initializing memory return in 3…

 

 **TAICHI (Voice):** _GET IT OFF ME I DON’T WANT THIS GET IT OFF GET IT OFF GET IT OFF GET IT OFF GET IT OFF GET IT OFF ME-_

 

 **MONOKUMA (Voice):** 2…

 

_Taichi screamed, nearly choking on a combination of bile and mucus rising in his throat. He suddenly went silent, and that seemed even more ominous than the previous screeching for freedom._

 

 **MONOKUMA (Voice):** 1…

 

 **TAKAAKI (Voice):** What the _fuck_ did you do to him?!

 

 **MONOKUMA (Voice):** Aaaaaand- go!

 

_A sudden wave of pain rushed through me, making my head spin. It was like I was being electrocuted, but all of the force was localised to my skull. A series of images began flashing before my eyes, almost too fast to make anything out._

 

_Disowning._

 

_Homeless._

 

_Starving._

 

_Didn’t deserve food anyway._

 

_Picking scraps from garbage._

 

_No new cases._

 

_Murder at Hope’s Peak._

 

_Didn’t figure it out._

 

_Worthless._

 

_Worthless._

 

_Worthless._

 

_Worthless._

 

_What kind of a detective are you, Jin?_

 

_As soon as it began, it stopped. The dome rose from my head, and I tumbled out of the machine, groaning and clutching my skull. It felt crowded, like an overflowing garbage can. That’s all I was anyway. Garbage, right? That’s why… Fuhito disowned me. That’s why I was living on the streets during the holidays. That’s why I collapsed from malnutrition. That’s why my business dried up. That’s why, when an upperclassman died, I let the murderer walk free. That’s why I was under consideration for expulsion._

 

_I shakily stood, breathing far too quickly for my liking. Everything was fuzzy around the edges. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t focus. I could only watch. In the distance, I heard someone wailing. There was static rushing through my nerves._

 

_I blinked, and everything was in focus again. Almost too sharp, like I was looking at a high definition my eyes couldn’t exactly process. I whirled my head around, scanning the rest of the crowd. Taichi was the most obvious one- he must have been the one I heard wailing. He was cradling his head in his hands, shrieking at the top of his lungs._

 

 **TAICHI:** [Rocking back and forth; fetal position] _YOU TOOK HER- YOU TOOK HER YOU TOOK HER YOU TOOK HER YOU TOOK HER YOU TOOK HER YOU TOOK HER YOU TOOK HER YOU TOOK HER-_

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Pissed; neutral position] Jeez, shut up already! Your despair is overwhelming the rest of the class, and you’re just a side character!

 

_All of a sudden, Taichi seemed to choke on nothing, and he stopped wailing. Instead, he just stared forward with wild, bulging eyes._

 

_With the main distraction gone, I could focus on the rest of my class. Ruka was wiping a trail of vomit from the side of her mouth, Isana was sobbing at full force, Takaaki had dropped his gun on the floor and was staring wordlessly off into the distance. Hiroko was screaming expletives, running up to a tree and starting to punch it as hard as she could. Shizuya was retching, evidently looking for a place to throw up like Ruka. Tokiya’s teeth were chattering, and he kept scratching the side of his left shoulder. Maiku had ripped his sleeves straight off his yukata._

 

 _Koichi was smiling lopsidedly, breathing heavily and twitching almost imperceptibly. Kotohiko looked to be mouthing the word ‘no’ under his breath, swaying back and forth. Minon seemed to have passed out, lying on the floor in a crumpled heap. Sadamu gripped his left arm tightly and twisted it at an awkward angle, a large ‘SNAP’ ringing through the ampitheatre. He looked to be seething with absolute and complete_ **_rage_ ** _. Renma was chanting something ominous under her breath, a dark aura seeming to surround her. Hana was leaning against the back of the machine and sobbing. And Hitomiko…_

 

_Hitomiko was whistling?!_

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Whistling happily] ...Oh, c’mon guys, it wasn’t _that_ bad!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing up arms] _WHAT?!_ It wasn’t _that_ bad! I worked my hardest to make it the _most despairing_ first motive ever! You don’t know how hard it is to edit a year’s worth of memories to remove all the _good_ bits!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Conflicted; wincing] Well… I mean, the worst thing that happened to me was that all my work got plagiarised? And I was banned from the Middle East because I sneaked into war camps?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** But really… I was kinda expecting that all to happen. It’s the risks of what I do!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** But all your hard work! Your years of practise! Gone in a flash!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Just because I got plagiarised _once_ doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen _every_ time. I’ll just move on to photographing different wars! Maybe I’ll try more residential crime stuff, I’ve been meaning to get into that!

 

 **JIN:** So that’s… that’s the absolute _worst_ thing that ever happened to you, huh?

 

_For some reason, I found myself getting irrationally angry at Hitomiko._

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Uh… I guess?

 

 **JIN:** Well aren’t you just fucking _lucky._ My father _abandoned_ me. I failed to- I was living on the _streets!_

 

_Hitomiko took a step back, fear starting to cloud her vision._

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Panicked; tugging on collar] N-now hold on, Jin- I- uh-

 

_I stepped closer to her, snarling._

 

 **JIN:** _Want to tell me again how it’s “not so bad”?_

 

_Hitomiko fell backwards, cowering away from me. It was then that I gained a bit of clarity, and I stepped back. I breathed in, and let myself relax slightly on the outbreath._

 

 **JIN:** Just… be careful around what you say, Hitomiko.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Choking on tears; sobbing] I- I’m sorry!

 

 _Suddenly, I felt guilty. That was_ **_completely_ ** _uncalled for… all because of Monokuma’s stupid motive._

 

 **JIN:** No I… I’m sorry. Fuck.

 

_I looked around at everyone. Most of them were still in their states of despair, but the ones who snapped out of it were looking at me in shocked horror._

 

 **JIN:** I- I have to go.

 

 _I walked away, before breaking into a sprint. I was at my cabin in no time, and I slammed the door behind me, sliding down it and onto the floor. I cradled my head in my hands, hyperventilating. Was I just about to hurt Hitomiko?_ **_Kill_ ** _her? I wouldn’t do that, right? I couldn’t…_

 

_I wasn’t too sure anymore. I had never expected the motive to be this intense…_

 

_I couldn’t leave this cabin. I couldn’t be trusted. What if I went after someone again? Could I stop myself in time?_

 

_Something wet started running down my face. Oh. I was crying. How long had I been doing that? I didn’t know._

 

 **JIN:** What… what’s _wrong_ with me?

 

_I didn’t know how long I stayed like that, just stewing in my guilt and fear. I only snapped out my trance when I heard a soft knock at the door. I stood, walking towards my bed and sitting down on it instead. The door swung open, and Koichi looked down at me with a mixture of pity and anger. It was a strange expression._

 

 **JIN:**...Hey.

 

_My voice cracked slightly, and I gulped. Suddenly, my throat felt very dry. Koichi wordlessly moved to sit down on the bed next to me, sighing._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Sad; clutching arm] ...Jin.

 

 **JIN:** Don’t.

 

 **KOICHI:** I didn’t even say anything.

 

 **JIN:** Whatever you were going to say, just… don’t.

 

 **KOICHI:** I just- I’m worried.

 

_I barked out a harsh, emotionless laugh at that._

 

 **JIN:** Really? No shit, Sherlock.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Sad smile] Thought that was meant to be _you_.

 

 **JIN:**...I wish. He'd probably have a way out of here by now.

 

 **KOICHI:** Hmm, maybe. You ever read any of the books he's in?

 

 **JIN:**...

 

_Koichi’s attempt to start the conversation fell flat, as I neglected to respond. He coughed, awkwardly, and moved to his own bed._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Awkward; half-smiling] You know, I’d tell you to go and get some dinner, but… I understand that you’re probably not very hungry.

 

_That’s an understatement._

 

 **KOICHI:** I’m… um. I’m going to go to sleep now- wake me up if you need anything.

 

_Koichi unlaced his boots, putting them to the side of his bed before squirming under the covers. He rolled around to face the wall, and I watched him struggle to get to sleep for a few minutes._

 

_I sighed, taking off my own shoes and unclipping my cape. I might as well at least try to sleep. Maybe then the thoughts would all go away. I laid down under my covers, facing away from Koichi. Getting to sleep was harder than I thought it would be. Every time I closed my eyes, I just remembered the horrible feeling of memories being injected into my brain._

 

_I laid there for a couple hours, just struggling to sleep- long enough to hear Monokuma’s night time announcement for the first time._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Ahem, ahem.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** It’s now 10pm, and therefore night hours! Have a despairingly good sleep, but make sure to lock the doors! Upupupupu!

 

_It was quieter than the morning announcement… maybe because it went off when most of the people were already asleep. I know I sure slept through them all. I was about to knock my head against the wall so I’d pass out, when I heard Koichi whisper to me._

 

 **KOICHI (Voice):** Jin? Are you still awake?

 

_I turned around in my bed, looking at Koichi. He’d shuffled over to face me, smiling in a way that didn’t reach his eyes._

 

 **JIN:** Yeah.

 

 **KOICHI:** Ah… me too.

 

_…_

 

 **KOICHI:** Do you… I don’t know. Do you want to go for a walk? Usually I do that whenever I can’t get to sleep, but I didn’t want to wake you up if you weren’t already… you know. Conscious.

 

_Spend time with Koichi?_

**> >Yes**

No

 

 **JIN:** Yeah. Yeah, that sounds… well. Better than this.

 

_Koichi sat up in bed, pulling the covers off of him. He ran his hand through his hair, combing out the worst of the tangles. I followed his example, standing up and toeing my shoes on. He took a little longer than normal to lace up his boots, having to stop a few times because his hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Eventually he managed to get them on, standing up and heading out the door._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Indecisive; fingers pressing into forehead] So… where should we go, Jin?

 

 **JIN:** I don’t know.

 

 **KOICHI:** Ah… I guess I’m going to have to be the leader, then.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Saluting] I promise to be the best leader you’ve ever had, Jin!

 

 **JIN:** I don’t need a leader. I just can’t think right now.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Awkward; half smiling] A-ah, I see.

 

 **KOICHI:** Well, usually I’d just head to a clearing or a hill to stargaze.

 

 **KOICHI:** Are you up for that?

 

 **JIN:** Koichi, I’m literally up for anything, so long as we get _moving_.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Saluting] Right, right!

 

 **KOICHI:** I found a hill near the waterfall area… it should be far enough away that it’s not too loud, though.

 

 **JIN:** Well then _move_.

 

 **KOICHI:** Okay, I am!

 

_Koichi began walking towards the forest, and I followed after him. We walked in silence, but I had to admit the action of walking helped clear my head a bit. We reached the hill after a few minutes, and Koichi started running up it. It was a struggle to keep up with him, especially since I hadn’t eaten any food, but it helped distract me. Once we reached the top, Koichi smiled at me, gave me a wink, and cartwheeled back down again._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Standing on hands] Woo-hoo!

 

_Around halfway down, he crashed and just started tumbling. Despite myself, I started snickering._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Brushing dust off of pants] Heh, guess that’s why I’m not the Super High School Level _Gymnast…_

 

_Koichi walked back up the hill, lying down on the slope and patting the ground next to him. I laid down, somehow finding myself smiling. Maybe this was a better idea than I thought it would be._

 

 **KOICHI:** [In awe; gazing upward] Jin… look at the stars.

 

_I looked up, and gasped. I wasn’t one to stargaze, or pay much attention to the sky… but this sight was, quite literally, breathtaking. The sky was covered in a swath of stars, a clearer sky than I’d ever seen before. It was alien, in the sense that I couldn’t recognise any constellations… Maybe this was what the sky looked like somewhere else in the universe._

 

 **KOICHI:** Beautiful, isn’t it?

 

 **JIN:**...Yeah.

 

_Koichi shuffled closer to me, pointing up at the stars and tracing his finger around an invisible boundary._

 

 **JIN:** What are you doing?

 

 **KOICHI:** [Concentrating; one eye squeezed shut] Making constellations.

 

 **JIN:** Huh. Do you mean you’re trying to recognise ones, or are you creating new ones?

 

 **KOICHI:** I’m making new ones. You see this?

 

_Koichi connected a few stars together into a stickman with a little antenna poking out of it’s head._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Mischevious; winking] That’s _Kirigiri Minor._

 

_I choked on a laugh, and he turned to smile at me._

 

 **KOICHI:** You should try to make one for yourself. Go ahead, surprise me!

 

_I looked up at the sky, concentrating for a while. Eventually, I sweeped my fingers over the stars, connecting them together into a big question mark._

 

 **JIN:** _That’s_ how I’m feeling right now.

 

 **KOICHI:** Give it a proper name!

 

 **JIN:** Fine. It’s _Mysterium Bullshiticus_.

 

_Koichi snickered, throwing his head back and onto the grass._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Grinning; eyes closed] That’s a bit vulgar for the astrology books, don’t you think?

 

 **JIN:** Heh, maybe.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Mischievous; winking] Then again, there is already a constellation dedicated to a _virgin_.

 

 **JIN:** Made it a horoscope and everything.

 

 **KOICHI:** Oh, really? I wasn’t aware that _Kirigiri Minor_ was a horoscope.

 

_My eyes grew wide, and I sat up._

 

 **JIN:** Wh- hey, that’s not-

 

 **KOICHI:** Snnk- It's just a joke, Jin! Unless you really are a virgi-

 

 **JIN:** I-I'm 17, Koichi! That's- it's-

 

_Why was I getting so worked up about this?!_

 

 **KOICHI:** So it  _is_ true? Didn't know my intuition was  _that_ good!

 

_I buried my head in my hands, trying to make my flushed cheeks turn back to normal. I wouldn't allow myself to be riled up by Koichi. Where was that happy-go-lucky, childish side of him? That'd be good to get back._

 

 **JIN:** It's true of everyone here, don't single me out! I mean... besides Ruka... and Sadamu... and you, I guess, but that's still the minority!

 

_Koichi laughed, and I felt my cheeks grow even redder._

 

 **KOICHI:** I didn’t know you’d get so flustered!

 

 **JIN:** Why _wouldn’t_ I get-

 

 **KOICHI:** You always seemed so cool and composed!

 

 **JIN:** _I am!_

 

 **KOICHI:** _Sure_ you are.

 

_I shoved Koichi, and he yelped, starting to tumble down the hill. Before he was out of my reach, though, he grabbed my arm and yanked. The two of us fell down together, ending up in a crumpled heap at the foot of the hill._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Fake outraged; gasping] You pushed me!

 

 **JIN:** You _pulled_ me.

 

_I leaned over Koichi, pinning his shoulders to the ground._

 

 **JIN:** _Now_ will you stop making fun of me?

 

 **KOICHI:** [In awe; looking up] Uh…

 

_I leaned in closer, glaring. Maybe I needed to amp up my intimidation tactics. Koichi made a squeaking noise, suddenly breathing faster._

 

 **JIN:** _Answer me._

 

_Koichi squirmed, but I tightened my grip. Our foreheads bumped together, and I went a little cross-eyed trying to keep glaring at him. He swallowed, and looked up at me with wide eyes. No response._

 

_From this distance, I could almost count his freckles._

 

 **KOICHI:** …

 

_I shifted my weight, trying to press down on him more firmly. Not enough to hurt, just enough to be very uncomfortable. Koichi lifted his hips up, evidently trying to escape that way- which was unusual, because that wouldn’t work anyway. I decided to fix it by shifting myself so that I was straddling Koichi, sitting down firmly on his hips. Try to escape now, you son of a bitch._

 

_Koichi shivered; closing his eyes and tipping his head back. The action caused his nose to knock against mine, which was admittedly a little strange._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Flustered; eyes squeezed shut] ...Is this the part where we kiss?

 

_I jumped backwards, scrambling away from Koichi._

 

 **JIN:** What- no, shit, no! Why would you- no!

 

_Koichi grew even redder, starting to tremble._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Red-faced; shaking] _Why_ would _I_ \- you _straddled_ me, Jin!

 

 **JIN:** I was _pinning you down!_

 

 **KOICHI:** That doesn’t make it any better!

 

_I held my head in my hands, groaning._

 

 **JIN:** Koichi, you’re- this was all meant to be platonic!

 

 **KOICHI:** Oh, yeah, _straddling me_ and _pushing your face against mine_ is _totally platonic_ , Jin! And after we just had  _that_ conversation-

 

 **JIN:** It is platonic, for fucks sake! Just because I'm a teenager doesn't mean I'm... doesn't mean that I'm going to kiss anything that moves. Last time I checked I wasn't secretly  _Tokiya._ It's more likely for me to  _kill_ you than  _kiss_ you, at least in this situation...

 

 **KOICHI:** Ugh, I'm an  _idiot!_

 

_Koichi stood up, walking over to a tree and smacking his head into it._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Banging head against tree] _We’re both idiots!_

 

 **JIN:** S-speak for yourself, I’m a _detective!_

 

 **KOICHI:** You’re a detective, and you can’t even tell when someone’s attracted to you?!

 

 **JIN:** Well, it's not- I don't just assume that! Especially since you're... we're both _boys_ , Koichi.

 

 **KOICHI:** I, uh- yeah, we're both- both boys, and... well, I- you hang out with Kotohiko a lot, so I-

 

 **JIN:** What does that have to do with _anything?!_

 

 **KOICHI:** Oh my fu- Urghhh… let’s just- let’s just go back to the cabin.

 

 **JIN:**...Yeah. Okay. Let’s do that.

 

_The walk back to the cabin was a silent one, heavy with awkwardness. My roommate was attracted to me. This was going to be a long stay... hopefully someone would just stab me before I had to deal with any more of this confusing shit. Was this what **other** teenagers felt like? So clouded by weird... emotions. Relationships. God, what a shitty life that must be. One of the perks of being a social recluse is that you never have to bother with figuring out other **people**. That's probably the only big mystery I'll never be able to solve._

 

_It was surprisingly easy to fall asleep, once I'd kicked off my shoes and finally taken off my well-worn clothes. Monokuma didn't pack us any pyjamas, but Koichi was too busy lying on his side and staring furiously at the wall for him to notice if I slept in my underwear. I guess my body was trying to get me away from the lingering embarrassment still evident in the room._

 

* * *

 

 

**MONOKUMA THEATRE**

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have superpowers?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Imagine if you had a power that could get you whatever you wanted, like mind control!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** You could stop crime, make people reconsider their hatred, save lives. You could make the world an inarguably better place.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** But how long would it take before you got selfish? Before you gave in to a little bit of… convenience?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** How easy would it be to control just the small things at first. Make your teacher give you a better grade. Get a free coffee when you’re feeling down. Make the person you have an eye on pay attention to you.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** It’s just a spiral from thereon. If you can have anything you wanted, why wouldn’t you? Your life would be better. You could rule the world!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** And even if you didn’t take it so far… how much of what you controlled would be genuine? If you stopped someone from stealing, or made someone feel better when they were sad, how are you _actually_ changing the world? You’re just forcing someone to do something they don’t _want_ to do.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** There wouldn’t be less _evil_ people in the world- just less people who hadn’t slipped under your goody-two-shoes thumb! You wouldn’t be making the world a better place, just a world in _your_ image!

  
**MONOKUMA:** When you look at it like that, your only option would be to curl into a little ball and die! Now _that_ would make the world a better place!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the motive reveal is finally here!
> 
> Reminder, you can vote for who you think the first victim will be over here: http://www.strawpoll.me/14235844  
> AND now you can vote for who you think the first killer will be: http://www.strawpoll.me/14235827


	6. CHAPTER ONE: "A Forest of Lost Souls" [PART THREE]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! Happy holidays, to everyone!
> 
> It's just two hours after Christmas ended for me as I'm uploading this, but I hope everyone who celebrates Christmas had a very merry Christmas, and you can consider this my present to you.
> 
> Just a mention- I'm no longer going to put trigger warnings at the beginning of each chapter, for risk of spoiling the content. But here's a GENERAL WARNING for anyone planning on reading further- this fangan covers mature and heavy content, such as heavy gore, violence, suicide, discussions of mental illness, and sexual references. Please do not continue reading if you cannot stomach graphic gore or violence, as these will be the most prevalent themes. 
> 
> That being said, I hope everyone has a good time reading this! This chapter's a pretty long one, around 12000 words, and I'm really quite proud of it.

_ Soap suds collected in his hands as he ran them through his shampooed hair, making sure to coat every strand in the bubbles. He pulled his hands away, sticking them under the stream of hot water first, before stepping under it and letting it wash away the soapy foam collecting in his hair.  _

 

_ He tipped his head back, eyes squeezed shut to prevent irritation, and spluttered slightly as the water hit his face. Eyes still closed, he fumbled around for the soap, moving his head out from under the stream. His hair was drenched, dark blue strands sticking to his forehead. He opened one eye slightly, as his blind fumbling proved fruitless. _

 

_ The tiles seemed to warp around him, and suddenly, I was there. Faceless, voiceless, all I could do was stare at this strange person I'd known for only a day. I had no idea how'd I'd gotten so close, how the rushing of the blood in my veins was slowly deafening me. But I knew my purpose. I knew what I had to do now. He shifted, turned, fixed me with those big blue eyes and my grip tightened. _

 

_ I couldn’t take this anymore. _

 

_ In a swift moment, I stuck the edge of my blade through his stomach. He stumbled back, yowling, slipping on the wet tile and smacking his head into the shower wall. He writhed in agony as I leant down in front of him, grabbing the edge of my knife and yanking it from his midsection. He was screaming, he was begging and pleading for his life. I ignored him. _

 

_ I didn’t have a choice. _

 

_ “Cut all connections.” That was what I had to do. There was no way I was ever going to be anything more than a disappointment if my feelings kept getting in the way. I had to remain a part of the Kirigiri Clan- whatever the cost. We didn’t make connections. We didn’t make alliances. Loyalty was a foreign concept, except to the fellow members of the Clan. I couldn’t disappoint father again.  _

 

_ I couldn’t. _

 

_ Kotohiko was choking on his own blood and bile, nails raking down my arm in an attempt to stop me from plunging the knife into his intestines. There was so much blood- the stomach wound, the back of Kotohiko’s head, the lines scraping down my arms. Kotohiko’s struggling was getting weaker, and he had stopped screaming. Now there were only wet gurgles. I threw the knife to the side, hearing it clatter against the tiled floor. Colours danced around the room, splashes of red and blue and pink bleeding together and swirling down the drain of the shower. His soap seemed more like rabid foam, and his skin bubbled with the stuff, eyes staring straight at me. Begging me. Trying to understand why I had-  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** Goooood morning, everyone!

 

_ I jolted awake, Monokuma’s grating voice echoing in my ears as I shot up in bed. My breath was laboured, and a thin sheen of sweat stuck my hair to my face.  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** It is now 7am, and night-time is officially over!

 

**MONOKUMA:** Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!

 

_ I tried to steady my breathing, wiping my damp hair from my forehead. It was just a dream, Jin. A troubling, fucked-up dream, sure, but just a dream. Kotohiko was still alive. At the very least,  _ **_you_ ** _ didn't kill him. My breathing gradually evened out, and I stepped out of bed, still trembling slightly.  _

 

_ God, I felt gross. I was sticky with sweat, and three days without washing sure didn't help me smell any better. I needed a shower, ironically enough. Maybe that nightmare was my body’s godawful reminder that I still needed to practise basic hygiene. There was an en-suite in this cabin, which was a fucking godsend. I think I’d die if I had to share a communal bathroom with everyone else… and if I saw Kotohiko in this hypothetical bathroom… I don’t wanna think about it. _

 

_ Why couldn’t my dreams just be normal for once? Nothing about me was “normal”, so it was stupid to expect my dreams would be, but it’d still be nice. Maybe one day I’d get to have a regular nightmare about spiders or killer clowns instead of a Freudian mess of friend-murder. I walked over to the ensuite door, finding it locked. If I listened in, I could hear the shower running and Koichi singing some kitschy campfire song. Probably the anthem to his summer camp. I knocked against the door. _

 

**JIN:** Hey, are you almost done? 

 

**KOICHI (Voice):** Oh, Jin! You’re awake! Uhhh… I’ll be out in a minute!

 

_ Koichi’s reply was muffled, and it sounded vaguely… panicked? Huh.  _

 

**JIN:** Alright. I just need to use the shower.

 

**KOICHI (Voice):** Okay. Yeah, I’ll be out soon. Just… could you look away when I get out? I don’t have my clothes in here, uh.

 

**JIN:** I’m not gonna look at you, Koichi. 

 

**KOICHI (Voice):** Yeah, okay, thanks. Thank you. Uh. I’m getting out now, you can come in.

 

_ The sound of water stopped, being replaced by Koichi’s footsteps as he walked towards the door and unlocked it. I waited a few seconds for him to step away from the door again, before walking in. I made sure not to look at Koichi, even though the bathroom was frankly too small for two people and he was taking up a lot of space.  _

 

**JIN:** So…

 

**KOICHI (Voice):** Ah, right! I’ll go now!

 

_ I heard the door slam behind me, Koichi presumably scurrying off to go change and towel off. I undressed and stepped into the shower, not bothering to lock the door behind me. The water was still warm when I turned it on, but it quickly grew almost freezing. I didn’t turn the heat up, letting the cold water wash over me. There was some soap in here, and tiny bottles of shampoo that looked like the stuff you got at hotels. I grabbed the soap, quickly scrubbing at my skin and rinsing off. I didn’t want to waste more time than was necessary. _

 

_ There was still a towel left, which was mint green. Did Koichi bother to inspect all the towels before naming the cabins, or did Monokuma switch them out to go along with the stupid button-naming schtick? Both of them seemed ridiculous, and more importantly, completely pointless possibilities to think about. I should be focusing on escape, especially now that a motive had been revealed. _

 

_ But really… _

 

_ What did I have to live for, out there? Sure, it was dangerous here, but no more dangerous than living on the streets. I’d been disowned. Wouldn’t it just be easier to stay in the forest? There wasn’t much to do here, and no cases to solve (and hopefully, there never would be), but I never wanted to be a detective in the first place. Here, at least I had a chance to be free, ironically. _

 

_ … _

 

_ But everyone else wants to get out. And something tells me that Monokuma isn’t going to stop with just one motive if nobody kills soon. Things might be comfortable now, but they sure as hell aren’t going to be forever. Maybe I should just kill myself before things get worse. If I didn’t get murdered before I had the chance, of course.  _

 

_ I finished toweling off, walking out of the bathroom and quickly changing into some clean clothes. Today’s agenda: investigate the rest of the forest. If there was one door, there might be others, or some other way to escape. If fire code states that each building must have two or more exists, than why shouldn’t it apply to space stations? Seems like there’d be a lot more potential for disaster in outer space than in a poorly ventilated bedroom.  _

 

_ The sky seemed overcast today. Weird. I didn’t know that the screens simulated changing weather patterns- was there any chance that it would rain soon? Hopefully the water could fry Monokuma’s circuits and we’d all have a chance to bust out. Keep thinking optimistically, Jin.  _

 

_ I trudged along the ground to the Mess Hall, finding the entrance already propped up. Other people might be down there… but it was probably worth interviewing a few of them. Maybe they had more information on how they were kidnapped, and even the most trivial of knowledge about that could be useful for my investigation.  _

 

_ I almost slipped on the ladder on the way down, but caught myself before I could fall. I didn’t want to end up with a sprained ankle like Hiroko, even if the nanobots healed it. Sure enough, half the class was milling around the mess hall- Hana was flitting around and handing out some steaming hot bowls of miso soup. It looked like today she was serving a more traditional-styled breakfast. _

 

**HANA:** [Balancing bowls of miso soup] Alright now, who wants seconds? I got plenty more cookin’ on the stove if anyone’s still hungry after this!

 

**ISANA:** [Excited; raising hand] Ooo! Me, me! I do! 

 

_ Isana hardly waited for Hana to set down the bowl before she picked it up and actually gulped it down, like she was drinking water out of a cup instead of boiling soup. Was she… okay? How the hell was she not giving herself second-degree burns… _

 

**ISANA:** [Satisfied; licking lips] Mmmmm! That really hits the spot! Thanks, Han-Han!

 

**HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] You, er…yer already finished?

 

**ISANA:** Yup! Can I get a third bowl? I got a big day in front of me!

 

**HANA:** A-alright, honey. I’ll… er, I’ll go pour another one for ya…

 

_ Hana shuffled off, somehow looking a lot less enthusiastic about her cooking. Over the course of her short conversation with Isana, she’d turned from her usually happy self to a mumbling, strained mess. The motive must have hit her hard if she’s even getting depressed about her strongest passion. _

 

**ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] Uh… did I say something wrong?

 

**RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] No, darling, I believe Miss Hanamura is simply troubled about last night’s motive… I know I am.

 

**RUKA:** [Struggling to hold back tears] ...Poor Daiya…

 

_ Daiya…? That was the name of her baby, wasn’t it? _

 

_...Oh god. _

 

**HIROKO:** [Enraged; raising fist] EH?! The bastard hurt your baby?! Where the fuck is Monokuma, he’s ‘bouta meet the short end of my fist-

 

**RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] No… Monokuma didn’t hurt him. I did.

 

_ Ruka stood up, pushing her bowl of soup away from her. She was breathing heavily, and seemed to be struggling not to cry.  _

 

**RUKA:** [Struggling to hold back tears] I-I- I need to excuse myself. I… I need to- I’ll be- fuck! 

 

_ Ruka ran off towards the ladder, pushing past me and clambering up it. I could hear her wheezing sobs as she desperately tried to get away from the rest of the group. When I turned my attention back to the dining table, I could see that Hiroko had risen too, and looked like she was ready to follow Ruka. _

 

_ She stepped towards the ladder, paused, and then slammed her fist on the table. The dishes rattled, and Maiku squeaked as his soup spilt all over his lap. _

 

**HIROKO:** Monokuma… that  _ fucking piece of shit.  _ This is what he’s done to us! When I get my  _ fucking  _ hands on him, I’m gonna-  _ I’M GONNA KILL HIM! _

 

**SADAMU:** [Scowling; hair covering eyes] ...Compose yourself, Hiroko. I want to- I’d feel the same in your situation, but it’s foolish to attack him. He’d kill you before you could touch him.

 

**HIROKO:** So what am I  _ meant  _ to do, you hulking sack of shit?! Just  _ sit here  _ and let him ruin our lives?!

 

**SADAMU:** I only ask that you not behave so rashly. You need a  _ plan  _ before you attack, or you  _ will  _ die.

 

**HIROKO:** Jeez, you’re one to talk about  _ impulse control.  _ Didn’t you break your fucking  _ arm  _ last night, huh?!

 

_ Sadamu shifted, looking away from Hiroko and clenching his teeth. He gripped the arm that was meant to be broken, shaking slightly. _

 

**SADAMU:** [Tense; teeth clenched] ...I was acting out in a fit of rage. I shouldn’t have done that… but I can’t let you kill yourself. You can’t do  _ anything  _ if you’re dead.

 

_ Maiku stood up, slamming his hands on the table and glaring at Hiroko. The stain on his yukata was evident- making it look even more wrecked than it already did. Why was he wearing the same destroyed one from last night…? _

 

**MAIKU:** [Angry; hands slammed down] Sir Sadamu is right! You can’t just let yourself be killed, Miss Hiroko! We need a plan if we are to take down the beast- it’s not a one-man job! 

 

**MAIKU:** [Touching bare arm] And… well. About the arm thing… last night wasn’t good for  _ any  _ of us. Just look at what I did to my  _ yukata…  _

 

**MINON:** [Thinking; looking at hand] ...Honestly… I just want to know how he can move his arm now… weird anger issues aside…

 

**SADAMU:** [Mumbling; shameful]  _ Je n'ai pas de problèmes de colère…  _ I am not that sort of man.

 

**SADAMU:** [Rolling up sleeve] But if you have to know… it was the nanobots. They didn’t even leave a scar where the bone protruded…

 

**ISANA:** [Nervous; biting lower lip] Please don’t talk about  _ protruding bones…  _ I’m, like, gonna throw up… urghh…

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Disbelieving; eyes wide] ...You can’t be serious.

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] You are a  _ lifeguard.  _ Grow some skin.

 

**ISANA:** Just because I’m a lifeguard doesn’t mean I can’t be squeamish! It’s not every other day you find someone who so freakishly strong he can snap his own  _ arm  _ in half! Yikes!

 

**SADAMU:** ...Can we please move past this?

 

**JIN:** I mean, it’s a useful enough thing to know. This means you don’t have to worry about self-inflicted injuries.

 

_ Isana jumped at the sound of my voice, falling backwards and tumbling onto Shizuya, who promptly shoved her onto the floor. _

 

**ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping]  _ Aaah! _ Jinny! You scared me! When did you get here?!

 

**JIN:** ...I’ve been here the entire time.

 

**ISANA:** Woah, really?

 

**MINON:** [Absent; sucking on fingers] Heh… I didn’t even notice him… kinda blends in with the background…

 

**JIN:** _ Thanks.  _

 

_ I sat down on a relatively empty part of the main table, grabbing one of the bread rolls laid out on the table. I didn’t have much of an appetite, but I might as well just fill myself up anyway. Looking over the room, I could get a more detailed list of attendance than simply “half the class”. Minon was lounging to the right of Shizuya, who was watching with disdain as a slightly ditzy Isana picked herself off of the floor. Maiku was on the other side of the table, huddled up next to Sadamu. Hiroko was pacing around the other tables, and Hana was still cooking in the kitchen. Not counting the recently-stormed-off Ruka, that left Kotohiko, Takaaki, Koichi, Tokiya, Renma, Hitomiko, and Taichi still absent.  _

 

_ Takaaki and Taichi’s absences were to be expected, they weren’t exactly the most social of people… but Renma’s disappearance was especially odd. She seemed to hover around Hana like a moth to a particularly luminous light bulb. So why wasn’t she here…? I felt a small feeling of dread curl in my stomach. _

 

_ No… there wouldn’t be a murder yet, would there? It was only a day after the motive dropped… _

 

**JIN:** ...Has anyone seen Renma around?

 

**MINON:** Nah… thank god… she’s too loud…

 

**MINON:** [Yawning; hand covering mouth] Man, maybe she’s dead and I can get some peace and quiet…

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on wrist] Miss Minon! That’s a horrible thing to say!

 

**MINON:** ...I didn’t get to sleep last night… ‘Cause you were crying… I deserve some rest…

 

**MAIKU:** Urk- Well, at least I was- It’s perfectly reasonable for me to be crying! Miss Saionji… she rejected my affections! Of course I’m bound to feel heartbroken if my Juliet chose my  _ rival  _ over me!

 

**MINON:** [Snickering; hand over mouth] Snnnk, that’s why you were crying…? Dude… My boyfriend got into a plane crash… 

 

**MAIKU:** [Horrified; jaw agape] …

 

**MAIKU:** [Voice breaking] ... _ Oh my god??? _

 

_ Maiku looked equal parts disturbed and sad. Sadamu pulled him closer, whispering something into his ear in French. Maiku seemed to calm down, if only slightly, burying his head into Sadamu’s side instead of looking at Minon. A few minutes of dead silence later had the duo standing up and heading out of the cafeteria altogether, leaving me with just the four girls. _

 

**ISANA:** [Nervous; biting lip] So… ah… if we’re sharing our traumatic life experiences, I-

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] Oh, please. I don’t want to listen to your petty little secrets, and I'm sure as  _ hell  _ not telling you mine. 

 

**SHIZUYA:** Now, if you lot will  _ excuse  _ me, I’m going to dump the rest of this soup in the river. It’s positively disgusting.

 

**ISANA:** [Hand out in a “halt” gesture] Hey! No littering  _ or  _ wasting food! If you’re not gonna eat it, I will!

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Pushing bowl over; disgusted] Ugh. Be my guest.

 

_ And with that, Hana walked out of the kitchen, more bowls of miso in her arms. She stopped as she saw Shizuya pass the bowl over, and looked like she was struggling to keep a smile on her face. _

 

**HANA:** [Strained; holding miso soup] Urgh… Isana, dearie, I got yer thirds…

 

**ISANA:** [Gulping down soup] I’m f’ne n’w! Alr’dy g’t sum! Mmm!

 

**HANA:** Y-yeah, I can… er, I can see that.

 

_ I sighed, waving Hana over. _

 

**JIN:** I haven’t had any yet, so…

 

**HANA:** [Brightening up] Ah, Jin! Yer awake! And ya came to breakfast! Here, let me dish some out for you…

 

_ Hana placed a bowl and a spoon next to me, as well as a set of chopsticks. I began to drink the soup, finding it to be… good, but not as good as the other times Hana cooked. She must really be feeling the stress of the motive. I can see how someone like Shizuya might call this “disgusting”, even though it was definitely still above average.  _

 

**JIN:** Say… Hana?

 

**HANA:** Yes, honey?

 

**JIN:** Have you seen Renma anywhere? She’s usually around you…

 

**HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] A-ah… no, sweetie. I haven’t seen her around all day…

 

**HANA:** ...She’s prolly just sleepin’ in, ain’t she?

 

_ I hope so. _

 

**JIN:** ...Probably. 

 

_ Hana scurried off after that, picking up the empty plates and going to the kitchen to wash them. I finished after a few minutes, watching Minon and Shizuya leave before heading out myself. Apparently, Isana seemed content to keep scarfing down the remainder of the bread rolls littering the table. _

 

_ It was cold when I reached the surface, colder than it had been when I woke up. I shivered, wrapping my cape tighter around myself. The scratchy tweed fabric wasn’t the warmest, but it at least helped shield me from the bitter chill. I decided to head towards Renma’s cabin- the violet one, if I remembered correctly. When I reached it, the door was already open, swinging ominously in the breeze. _

 

**JIN:** H...hello? Is anyone in here?

 

_ I stepped inside the cabin, the floorboards squeaking under my feet, and looked around the room. _

 

_ The place was an absolute mess… the two beds had been turned on their side and pushed together to create a makeshift wall splitting the room in half. One of the mattresses had been flung haphazardly on the floor, and was covered in blood. The windows had been covered up with floorboards, that had apparently been torn from random places on the actual floor.  _

 

_ On the walls, strange symbols had been drawn, apparently  _ **_also_ ** _ in blood. Or something that looked an awful lot like it, anyway. The door to the bathroom had been torn off and joined the beds in the construction of the strange wall. Feathers littered the floor, some of them sticky with red fluid.  _

 

**JIN:** ...What the fuck.

 

**TAICHI (Voice):** _ GET OUT! _

 

_ The door on the makeshift wall slammed to the ground, Taichi standing in its wake. He was panting visibly, dressed only in an undershirt and boxers. His glasses were lopsided, and he had a serious case of bed-hair. _

 

**TAICHI:** [Accusing; shakily pointing] I-I k-know you’re out to, to murder m-me, but you’re not- I w-won’t let you! Get out!

 

**JIN:** I wasn’t even looking for  _ you _ , calm down.

 

**TAICHI:** C-calm down?! Y-You’re the o-one who i-invaded m-my cabin! 

 

**TAICHI:** J-just l-like  _ they  _ d-did…

 

_...He must be talking about his Hope’s Peak memories… _

 

**JIN:** Listen. I’ll leave as soon as you tell me where Renma is.

 

**TAICHI:** [Cowering; clutching head] Nghnnn… n-nice try! Y-you’re j-just trying to d-distract me! S-so you can attack!

 

**JIN:** No, I’m  _ not.  _ I’m just worried about Renma. She didn’t go to breakfast today.

 

**TAICHI:** I-If you have to k-know- Sh-she’s here! 

 

**JIN:** ...She’s obviously  _ not. _

 

**TAICHI:** N-not  _ here here…  _ h-hang on.

 

_ Taichi stamped his foot on the ground, calling Renma’s name. A moment later, Renma popped her head out of one of the holes in the floorboards, before pulling her spindly body out of it. She scuttled towards me, like a bug or something out of a horror movie. I squeaked, jumping backwards. It wasn’t my proudest moment. _

 

**RENMA:** [Scuttling; neck craned up] ...That sound… Ha! It’s the investigative  _ mortal!  _ What business do you have in my realm?!

 

_ Why did she mention how I sounded… was she blind? Maybe she just couldn’t see past her fringe. _

 

**JIN:** I just wanted to make sure you were okay. W-which you obviously  _ are, _ so I can leave now-

 

**RENMA:** Not so fast!

 

_ In a flash, Renma had drawn herself up to her full height, and she towered over me. She gripped my shoulders with her long fingers, twisting her mouth into a sharp smile. _

 

_ I was so dead. _

 

**RENMA:** [Leering smile] Investigative mortal…

 

**JIN:** Y-yes…?

 

_ Renma leaned in closer, her grin almost splitting her face open. She had too many teeth, crammed together and sharpened to points. The stench of rot surrounded her, and a loud slam from the other side of the room indicated that Taichi had retreated back into his fortress of solitude. _

 

_ Renma tilted her head to the side, her vertebrae clacking together. Gravity parted her fringe, exposing one of her eyes- cloudy, too large for her face, and bugging out of its eye socket. Well, at least that explained the sight problem… Was it a required criteria for a cult leader to act creepy as shit? Because if that was the case… it was no surprise Renma was an ultimate. _

 

**RENMA:** _ Tell me something... _

 

_ She rasped out the request, snapping her head back up to its normal position, and covering her eye in the process. I had never felt this terrified in my entire life. _

 

**JIN:** What do you- what do you- uh, what- what do you want to know?

 

**RENMA:** …

 

_ Please don’t kill me. _

 

**RENMA:** [Blushing; twiddling fingers] Do you think the Dark Mistress would care to give me lessons in the art of culinary magic?!

 

_...What. _

 

_ Renma had gone a full 180. She was blushing, even through her caked-on white makeup, and was looking down at her feet like a dopey schoolgirl.  _

 

**JIN:** You… you want cooking lessons?

 

**RENMA:** [Annoyed; arms crossed] Tch, of course  _ you’d  _ call them  _ cooking lessons _ … 

 

**JIN:** Listen, I can talk to Hana and arrange something. Is that all you wanted?

 

**RENMA:** One more thing…

 

**RENMA:** [Deathly serious] Today you will be attacked, mortal one. I’d advise to be on-guard. 

 

_ Attacked? Did Renma somehow overhear people conspiring against me…?  _

 

**RENMA:** [Clasping bloody hands] I learned this from my  _ haruspicy  _ this morning, so you can trust that it’s genuine.

 

**JIN:** Haruspicy…?

 

**RENMA:** A revered method for predicting the outcome of each day! A simple analysis of chicken entrails can reveal to you the secrets of the cosmos. 

 

_...Oh. It’s that thing they used to do in Ancient Rome. _

 

_ So, not a genuine threat then. At least this explains the blood and the feathers… she must have gotten the chicken from the cafeteria last night. _

 

**JIN:** ...Thanks for the warning, Renma. I’ll keep it in mind.

 

**RENMA:** [Bowing head; clasped hands] A wise choice, mortal one. I will leave you to your earthly duties now.

 

_ I headed out of the cabin, somewhat annoyed to find that Renma’s bloody hands had stained my cape. Better than being killed by her, though. I didn’t even know there was a crawl space under the cabins… That might be something to look into. Koichi would freak if I started tearing up the floorboards, though. At least it’s a good place to look for evidence in the event of a murder… which hopefully wouldn’t happen. With the severity of the motive, that was a slim chance, but…  _

 

_ It was still best to hold onto some semblance of hope. _

 

_ Besides Renma, there were still some suspicious absences from the cafeteria this morning. Taichi, as expected, had just been hiding in his room, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Takaaki was doing the same… but the rest were certainly something worth looking into. _

 

_ Koichi, I had seen this morning, but it was kind of suspicious that he hadn’t shown up to breakfast. And the shower seemed a bit weird, too- I mean, it was probably weirder  _ **_not_ ** _ to take one, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have been using it to clean up blood or a weapon. Maybe  _ **_that’s_ ** _ why he didn’t want me looking at him. I didn’t want to doubt him… but there’s no reason to trust him either.  _

 

_ Hitomiko was something to worry about, as far as potential victims go. She didn’t seem affected by the motive at all, so it was unlikely she was a killer, but after my angry outburst last night… someone may have used it as a device to frame me. _

 

_ The rest had varying possibilities of being either victims or killers, but Hitomiko definitely seemed like the most at-risk. She was vaguely naive, and seemed easy enough to lure out with the promise of a good photo shoot… and her chipper attitude about the motive might have caused a reaction not unlike mine.  _

 

_ The problem was, Hitomiko seemed to be a traveller- unlike someone like Taichi, I can’t see her spending much time in her dorm. It would be a good place to start, but I was more likely to run into Kotohiko than her. And after last night’s nightmare… I wasn’t sure how I would react around him. Not well, that’s for sure. Maybe I should check the flower fields first, to see if she’d gone back there to take photos… _

 

_ Nobody seemed to be in the clearing when I approached it, but it was still a nice place to rest and collect my thoughts. I waded through the long stems of the wildflowers, heading for the place I sat with Sadamu yesterday, when my foot caught something suspiciously… fleshy. I tumbled over, ending up with a face full of dirt. _

 

**???:** _ Watch where you’re going…! _

 

**JIN:** Ughh… 

 

_ I rolled onto my back, turning my head to the side so I could see who I tripped over. Wide, hollow grey eyes stared back at me, partially covered by a mess of tangled brown hair. Ah… Minon. She blew a lock of hair out of her face, only for it to float back down again into a similar position. _

 

**JIN:** Why were you lying in the middle of a clearing?

 

**MINON:** [Bored; rolling eyes] What does it look like…? I’m… resting…

 

**MINON:** [Yawning; hand covering mouth] ...Couldn’t sleep last night… remember?

 

**JIN:** Yeah. But couldn’t you have rested… I don’t know, in your cabin? Instead of sleeping somewhere where  _ anyone  _ could trip over you.

 

**MINON:** ...It’s pretty here… I like pretty places.

 

**MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] Besides… the room smells… like roses and perfume. I get a headache there…

 

**JIN:** ...Where the hell would Maiku even  _ find  _ perfume here?

 

**MINON:** ...Beats me. I don’t know… 

 

**MINON:** He probably washes his clothes in the stuff…

 

**JIN:** Heh, probably.

 

**MINON:** [Playing with medical bracelet] …So… are you gonna stand up... or what…?

 

_ She’s right… It’s probably a little bit weird to keep lying here.  _

 

_ I stood up, dusting off my cape and pants. I probably looked like a complete mess. Minon propped herself up on an elbow, staring at me with no expression on her face. Why are some of the girls here so… intimidating? Minon wasn’t even strong- she looked like a human representation of a bunch of matchsticks held together with glue and chewing gum, but she still radiated an air of judgement.  _

 

**MINON:** [Interested; chin propped up with hand] ...Why were you even here anyway…?

 

**JIN:** I was looking for Hitomiko. Not that I’d expect  _ you’d  _ know where she is…

 

**MINON:** Hey, that’s rude… I’m not a complete airhead.

 

**MINON:** I mean, you’re right, but… still.

 

**JIN:** ...How the hell are you so… I don’t know. Unconcerned? We’re in a murder game, your boyfriend died… and you still don’t seem to care.

 

_ God, I wish I had that skill. _

 

**MINON:** [Confident; smiling sharply] ...Cause I’ll just use my  _ luck _ , stupid.

 

**JIN:** Huh?

 

_ Minon sat up, staring at me with wild eyes. For some reason, she felt… powerful. _

 

**MINON:** My luck. If anyone attacks me… or if  _ I  _ attack anyone… I know I’m not gonna die.

 

**MINON:** [Eyes swimming; arms held out] My luck will save me. I could kill someone, and I wouldn’t get executed, because I’d just use my fucking luck.

 

**MINON:** Someone else would confess, or crucial evidence would go missing. And I would go free. 

 

**MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] So, yeah… that’s why I’m not worried.

 

_ All of a sudden, Minon was back to her normal self. She yawned, lying back down on the ground. _

 

**MINON:** [Dismissive; making shoo-ing motion] Now… could ya go away…? I’m still kinda sleepy…

 

**JIN:** …

 

_ Wordlessly, I walked away from Minon.  _

 

_ That was… certainly an experience. I hadn’t expected that at all. Minon’s unwavering conviction to her luck… she treated it like it was something supernatural, rather than random chance that landed her in Hope’s Peak. If her luck was really as powerful as she stated, why did she always look seconds from death? Shouldn’t her luck have prevented whatever illness she possessed from continuing to deteriorate her health? _

 

_ Whatever it was… it was definitely something she’d kill for.  _

 

_ I let my feet carry me to the waterfall, the constant crashing of the water helping to white out most of my thoughts. Maybe Hitomiko could even be around here… it certainly was a scenic place. Perfect for a photoshoot.  _

 

_ I sat down by the bank of the river, toeing off my shoes and sticking my feet in the water. The water was cool, but not as cold as I’d expected, especially considering today’s conditions. In fact, the area around here seemed somewhat… warmer, than the rest of the forest. Maybe the kinetic energy from the waterfall was heating up the water here? It sounded wrong, but I was hardly a science major.  _

 

_ I let my gaze sweep over the clearing, taking in more of it now that I wasn’t blinded with (Takaaki-induced) rage. The bridge looked as unstable as ever- in fact, a few more of the planks looked to be missing. If I squinted, I could see them washed up on the other end of the stream. Isana really was right to warn people about it, even if I thought it was annoying at the time.  _

 

_ Speaking of Isana… She’d appeared on the other end of the stream, coming out of the forest and chatting amicably to… _

 

_ Ugh. Takaaki. Of course. _

 

_ Why couldn’t I go one day without having to see him?! _

 

_ Still, it would probably be the best if I went to see what they were talking about. Takaaki usually didn’t give a shit about talking to anyone, so if he was talking to Isana, she must have some new information. Maybe she’d even found an escape route.  _

 

_ I stood up, pulling my shoes back on (ew, my feet were still wet. That was gross.) and walking towards the bridge. Taking it slowly, I managed to make it to the other side with only  _ **_one_ ** _ of the rotten boards coming loose. True talent right there, folks.  _

 

**ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] We’re almost  _ there!~ _

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] Listen, you’ve dragged me along for ten fucking minutes now. This  _ better  _ be good.

 

**ISANA:** It is, dont’cha worry! I pretty much found a way outta here, y’know!

 

_ …! _

 

**JIN:** A way out?

 

**ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping]  _ Eek!  _ Jinny, you scared me  _ again! _

 

**JIN:** Shit, sorry-

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Pulling out gun] Oh, great, the rookie’s here.

 

**TAKAAKI:** Is  _ he  _ your magical “way out”, Otaki?

 

**ISANA:** [Nervous; biting lip] Eep… you’re being scary too! And,  _ no,  _ he’s not! Duh!

 

**JIN:** Thanks for the vote of confidence, Isana.

 

**ISANA:** Wait, I didn’t mean it like  _ that- _ !

 

**JIN:** I know. I’m just teasing.

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Fake gagging] Ugh. Can we get to the damn point already?

 

**ISANA:** [Muted enthusiasm] Oh… yeah. Uh…

 

**ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] I found a secret area! Behind the waterfall!

 

_ Isana pointed to the waterfall, a bright smile on her face. _

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] And that’s helpful… how, exactly?

 

**JIN:** Let her finish.

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] Fuck you.

 

**ISANA:** [Frustrated; fingers pressed into both temples]  _ Jeez _ , can you guys stop fighting for  _ once!  _ Aki, stop being rude, and Jinny, stop being- uh. Rude back!

 

**ISANA:** Just follow me, and I’ll, like, show you two!

 

_ Isana ran towards the mouth of the waterfall, standing on some rocks near it, and shimmying  _ **_behind_ ** _ the thing, presumably into some cave. She shouted something to us, but neither of us could hear a thing. _

 

**JIN AND TAKAAKI:** So there’s a cave behind there…

 

**TAKAAKI:** …

 

**JIN:** …

 

**TAKAAKI:** For the record, I made the deduction first.

 

**JIN:** Fuck you, no you didn’t. We said it at the exact same time!

 

**TAKAAKI:** Keep dreaming, Rookie.

 

_ With that, I stormed off towards the entrance of the cave, Takaaki following hot on my heels. It was a bit of a squeeze to actually get behind the waterfall, and I definitely got drenched by the backspray in the process. A couple of times, I was afraid I was going to slip off the wet rocks and end up in the strong rapids below. _

 

_ The cave itself was nothing to write home about. Isana was standing near a group of large rocks, flashing me a smile when I stepped inside. I was pleased to see Takaaki looked absolutely as sodden as I did, and he had to rub some of the water out of his eyes before taking a look around. _

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] ...It’s just a cave.

 

**ISANA:** Not  _ just  _ a cave, silly! There’s an  **air vent** in here!

 

**JIN:** Wait, did you say air vent?!

 

_ An air vent… that  _ **_had_ ** _ to connect to the main part of the space station! And if we could get to the control room… there’d surely be escape pods, right? How else would the staff running this be able to escape the station once the killing game was over? _

 

**ISANA:** [Proud; flexing biceps] Mmm-hmm! I was looking around here after the motive drop yesterday, and I found a vent with a huge fan in it!

 

**ISANA:** If we can somehow pry the fan out, I’m sure there’d be a passage behind it, right?

 

_...Oh. _

 

**JIN:** Uh, Isana? I’m not sure that’s how air vents work… there wouldn’t be a fan in the way if it led anywhere. It’s probably just to get air flowing here, or to cool down the area…

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] So it’s basically fucking useless.

 

**ISANA:** [Fighting back tears] I-It’s not! I-I mean- this place is so weird already, who’s to say t-there isn’t a vent!

 

**ISANA:** I-I’ll show you!

 

_ Isana climbed over the mountain of rocks, disappearing further into the cave. Takaaki sighed, before climbing over them himself, muttering swears under his breath. I chose to step around the mountain instead, squeezing through a tight passageway between the wall of the cave and the rocks. _

 

_ … _

 

_ A bloodcurdling scream rang through the cave, followed by a loud thump. Worried, I clamboured through the passageway as fast I could… _

 

_ And ended up seeing something I wish I could forget. _

 

_ … _

 

_ -DING DONG BING BONG- _

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** _ A body has been discovered!  _

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** _ After certain amount of investigation time, which you may use however you please, a class trial will begin! Upupupu! _

 

_ The harsh sound of Monokuma’s voice reverberated around the cave, piercing straight into my mind. But nothing could distract me from the sight that lay before me. _

 

_ The fan was definitely there, alright. Except it looked like someone had tried Isana’s plan… and tragically failed. A mangled corpse clogged the fan, which seemed to be struggling to move. Scattered on the floor were severed limbs; two arms and an leg. A pool of thick blood seeped from the fan, coating the ground in a layer of gore.  _

 

_ The worst thing was the sound- the fan was still struggling to move, even with the corpse jamming it. It screeched from effort, the vibration of the fan’s blades squelching against the mass of shredded flesh that was once one of our classmates. Each minor movement caused another trickle of blood to seep out of the fan, adding to the mess on the floor. Isana lay there, unconscious, unmoving. _

 

_ I stumbled to the side of the cave, leaning over and retching. Someone was dead- actually fucking dead, and in the most horrible way imaginable. I squeezed my eyes shut, longing to get the picture out of my head, but the sound was still there. That awful, awful sound.  _

 

**JIN:** This can’t… this can’t be happening-

 

**TAKAAKI (Voice):** ...You sick son of a bitch. 

 

_ Before I knew it, I was being dragged away from the corner and pulled up to meet Takaaki’s eyes. He was furious, eyes glittering with oceans of unkempt rage. _

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Enraged; eyes burning] You did this, didn’t you?!

 

**JIN:** Wh… what..?

 

**TAKAAKI:** You killed them. You fucking piece of shit!

 

_ I opened my mouth to protest, only to find Takaaki forcibly slam me against the wall of the cave. My head spun, and I could feel wet blood trickling down the back of my neck. _

 

**TAKAAKI:** That’s why you were already here! And why you’ve got blood all over you! You motherfucker!

 

_ I found myself being dragged, limp, up the mountain of rocks as Takaaki scrambled up it. I tried to fight back, but I could already feel the edges of unconsciousness biting at the sides of my vision. All I could do was weakly scratch at his arm, trying to get him to let me go. _

 

_ It was futile, of course. Takaaki managed to drag me to the edge of the cave, where the base of it met the rapids underneath. I couldn’t even scream before he forced my head under the water, and I choked on the strong current. My head was spinning, and my lungs were starting to burn as he held my head under. I couldn’t breathe!  _

 

_ Let me go! _

 

_ I gagged, water rushing into my lungs. I was drowning. Oh fuck, oh fuck, I needed air. I was going to die. I was going to die.  _

 

_ Please let me go, please. Please don’t kill me, I needed air. I needed air.  _

 

_ I was going to die. I was dying.  _

 

_ I can’t breathe.  _

 

_ I can’t breathe.  _

 

_ I can’t breathe! _

 

_ Takaaki pulled up my hair, and I gasped for breath. I vomited up the water in my stomach, coughing violently as my lungs struggled to expel the water inside them. I heaved, shuddering with every laboured breath. _

 

_ I was only given a couple more seconds before my head was forced under again.  _

 

_ Every time I thought I was on the brink of dying, Takaaki would tug my head upwards again, spitting out obscenities I could hardly understand. Then he’d dunk my head under. Leave me drowning for a minute. Rinse and repeat. _

 

_ I wasn’t even struggling anymore, only limply shaking as I choked on the stream’s water. My eyes had rolled back into my head, and I gurgled every time I tried to breathe. My lungs felt like they were about to explode.  _

 

_ Maybe I would die here. _

 

_ Would it really be worth it to live? _

 

_ I’m was so tired… _

 

_ … _

 

_ … _

 

_ … _

 

_ … _

 

_ … _

 

_ … _

 

_ … _

 

_ … _

 

_ … _

 

_ … _

 

_ I gasped, a sharp pain ripping through my chest as I coughed out lungs’ worth of water. I blinked dumbly, delirious from a lack of oxygen, but just managed to make out the form of Isana sitting beside me. She gasped, removing her hands from my chest, and turned to a crowd of blurry people. _

 

**ISANA:** He’s awake!

 

**HANA (Voice):** Oh, thank the heavens!

 

**RUKA (Voice):** Jin? I am so,  _ so  _ sorry.

 

**KOTOHIKO (Voice):** ...Jin! Oh my god, Jin! 

 

_ I turned towards the crowd, offering them a weak smile, before violently coughing out more water. Isana kept a firm grip on my shoulders, stopping me from sitting up. _

 

**JIN:** ...What happened…?

 

_ My voice was raspy, and it hurt to speak. I turned back to Isana, and she looked almost close to tears. _

 

**ISANA:** [Choking back tears] You… you almost died, Jin. Takaaki almost… 

 

_...Oh. _

 

**ISANA:** I mean, I woke up in time to save you, but… uh. I might have broken a rib, I’m not sure. Sorry, that’s just how CPR works.

 

_ Great. _

 

**JIN:** What about the… the other body?

  
  


**ISANA:** You shouldn’t be worrying about that right now! We’ve got people in there investigating…

 

**JIN:** Yeah, but- 

 

_ None of them are Super High School Level Private Investigators, are they? _

 

_ I need to get in there. _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Buuuuuuuuut  _ what? _

 

_ I jumped, my aching chest shooting pain into my nerves. _

 

**JIN:** Jesus fucking- when did  _ you  _ get here?!

 

**MONOKUMA:** I’ve been here the whole goddamn time, Sleeping Beauty!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Blushing; sweat dripping down face] Nothing gets me going like a little bit of teen  _ murder!  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** Shame about your survival, though. A double murder would be oh-so fun!

 

**JIN:** ...Fuck you.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Woah, someone’s getting a little fiesty! Watch it, Ariel!

 

**JIN:** I thought I was Sleeping Beauty.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing up arms] Gah! What is with you kids and critiquing my one-liners!

 

**MONOKUMA:** Ungrateful little bastards…

 

**JIN:** Maybe we’d stop critiquing them if you stopped forcing us to kill each other.

 

**MONOKUMA:** Hey! I’m not forcing  _ anyone _ ! If you choose to kill someone, you choose to kill ‘em! That’s on you, buster!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; staring at floor] All this sass, and I just wanted to tell you that your ribs are all fine… how rude.

 

**JIN:** ...Why the hell would you even  _ want  _ to tell me that?!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] So you wouldn’t use it as an excuse to skip out of a class trial, dumbass!

 

**MONOKUMA:** Class trials are one-hundred percent mandatory, except to people who have life-threatening injuries!

 

**ISANA:** [Nervous; biting lip] ...That’s  _ not  _ one hundred percent.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] Cut the shit, ditz-head! You get the jist! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** But now we’re all clear that you  _ don’t  _ have any injuries, besides  _ maybe  _ some heavy bruising, so there’s no way you can sit out of this!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] You hear me!

 

**JIN:** I wasn’t going to sit out of it anyway. I  _ need  _ to find out who killed… uh.

 

_...Who died again? _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Belly laughing] Gwahahahahaha! You don’t even know who died!

 

**MONOKUMA:** Kudos to the killer for brutality! That corpse is  _ beyond  _ recognisable! Upupupupu!

 

**MONOKUMA:** If ya really gotta know, you should check your Monopad! Those things were handed out for a reason, y’know!

 

_ I sat up, pushing Isana’s arms off of my shoulders, and pulled out my Monopad. It was completely drenched, but it somehow still turned on. _

 

_ The usual icons were there… MAP, REPORT CARDS, SCHOOL RULES, SETTINGS… but two new icons had been added, bright red and flashing. “TRUTH BULLETS”, and “MONOKUMA FILE”.  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Showing white side] Your Monokuma File tells you  _ all  _ about the victim- their injuries, time of death, etcetera etcetera. 

 

**MONOKUMA:** Your Truth Bullets are where you can record important evidence, just in case ya wanna review it later! Don’t ever tell me I never gave ya twerps anything.

 

_ I clicked on the Monokuma File’s icon, and I was met with a photo of the body. Ugh, I felt like throwing up again. _

 

**_Victim’s Name:_ ** _ Tokiya Souda _

**_Time of Death:_ ** _ Between 10 and 11 PM. _

**_Location Discovered:_ ** _ Secret Cave behind the Waterfall _

**_Cause of Death:_ ** _ Several wounds spread evenly around the body, mangling it.  _

**_Other Injuries:_ ** _ The victim’s arms and one leg were dismembered. _

**_Discovered By:_ ** _ Isana Otaki, Takaaki Ishimaru, Jin Kirigiri _

 

**JIN:** _...Tokiya. _

 

_ I definitely hadn’t liked him, but… he didn’t deserve to die. I never even got to know him properly. Maybe there had been a decent person under all that overblown sexism. Unlikely, but now I’d never get to know if there was. He’d been murdered in cold blood, by someone he’d probably trusted. _

 

_ And now it was up to me to find his killer. _

 

_ I stood up, stumbling slightly as I tried to find my footing. Monokuma chuckled at my efforts, and Kotohiko ran from the crowd to help me stay upright. _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] ...Jin. You nearly died. You shouldn’t be pushing yourself!

 

**JIN:** I’m  _ fine.  _

 

_ I clumsily walked towards the back of the cave, clambering up the rock divide and sliding down to face the crime scene. Kotohiko followed after me, constantly shooting me worried looks.  _

 

_ The “investigators” that had been appointed here were Hitomiko, who was taking snapshots of the corpse, and Shizuya, who looked to be spitting on one of Tokiya’s limbs. How helpful. I decided to investigate the body first, trying not to gag as I walked through the puddle of liquified gore to examine the fan. _

 

_ The body was less of a “body” and more of a red mush, spread across the length of the fan. The actual fan was huge, just a little shorter than I was. It was easy to see how someone might have gotten stuck between the blades and mangled, especially seeing as the actual blades were spaced pretty far apart. _

 

_ Gathering my wits, I brought a finger up and pushed it through a clump of red gunk in order to feel the edge of the blade. It was definitely sharp to the touch. I pulled my finger out with a squelch, wiping off the blood on the edge of my cape.  _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Ventilation Fan_ **

 

_ I moved away from the fan, as there wasn’t much else to investigate. Instead, I crouched down and picked up one of the limbs. Judging from the fact that they’d been severed like this, Tokiya must have been pushed into the fan by a strong shove to his chest. He may have held his arms out as he was flung backwards, and the force would have knocked him off his feet. One of his legs might have been caught in the fan, but the other one would have been cut off before it could get mangled. _

 

_ There point of separation was clean, definitely hinting at my theory that the fan cleanly severed them, and they weren’t ripped off or mangled. The fan’s blades certainly  _ **_seemed_ ** _ sharp enough to be able to pull something like that off.  _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Dismembered Limbs_ **

 

_ I decided to move away from the main crime scene, instead focusing on exploring the area. Off to the side, hidden behind a pile of rocks, was a large metal grate. I grit my teeth, yanking it away from the rocks, sending a few tumbling on the ground behind me.  _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest] Ah! Jin, you nearly hit me!

 

**JIN:** Sorry. But look, I think I found something.

 

_ I held up the grate, and Kotohiko gasped. It was the same size as the fan, and had a hole on each corner- presumably for screws. The front was plastered in warning signs cautioning the reader about minor cuts, grievous injuries, and death.  _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** Do you- do you think that’s-

 

**JIN:** Yep. It’s the safety grate for the fan. 

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Oh jeez… shame that wasn’t… you know… do you think Monokuma moved it?

 

**JIN:** No. I don’t think he’d do that, especially since he seemed so adamant about not interfering with the murders.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** ...Yeah. I just… fuck, I can’t believe this is happening!

 

**JIN:** ...Me neither.

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Fan’s Safety Grate_ **

 

_ That was about it for this area, it seemed. Maybe I should talk to the two “investigators”, to see if they had any information about the case. _

 

**JIN:** ...Hey, Hitomiko.

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Concentrating; camera held up to eye] ...Yeah?

 

**JIN:** Do you have a minute? Me and Kotohiko want to talk to you.

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Lowering camera] Eh, you ruined my shot anyway, so why not?

 

_ I honestly don’t know why I was worried about her. _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** Right… so, uh, Hitomiko… did you manage to find anything?

 

_ Hitomiko stopped, thinking for a second, before shrugging. _

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Handing over photos] Not  _ really.  _ Nothing besides the obvious. But I did take a few photos of the crime scene, if that would help?

 

_ I grabbed the photos, looking them over. Nothing really that new jumped out at me, but they did do a pretty good job at documenting the scene. In one of them, you could even see the edge of the grate that was tucked away, and in another… was a very strange rock. _

 

_ It was smoother than the other rocks, and very slightly discoloured. According to the photograph, it was right in the middle of one of the patches of blood, but it looked completely clean. Almost as if it had been wiped off. _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Hitomiko’s Photographs_ **

 

**JIN:** Is there anything else you know that might be connected to the case? Anything at all?

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Thinking; biting knuckle] Hmm… Maybe. I’ll have to go and get it, though…

 

**HITOMIKO:** Wait right here!

 

_ And with that, Hitomiko ran away, climbing up the rock wall and sliding down the other side. Her footsteps echoed in the cave as she ran away, presumably to get whatever mystery evidence she had holed away. _

 

_ Now it was time to talk to Shizuya… who had moved on from spitting on one of Tokiya’s legs to outright stomping on it. Thank god that Hitomiko took photographs of the crime scene  _ **_before_ ** _ it was disturbed… _

 

**JIN:** Shizuya.

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Muttering under breath] Rot in hell, you fucking disgusting piece of shit. I hope you burn.

 

**JIN:** Shizuya!

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Startled; eyes wide] Ghhk-! Kirigiri, when did you stop dying?!

 

**JIN:** Ten minutes ago. 

 

**SHIZUYA:** I see. Could you go back to doing that? I’m busy here.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] Uh, you probably shouldn’t be messing with the crime scene like that-

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] Shut your mouth, fly-boy.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest] Yes, ma’am!

 

**SHIZUYA:** There’s not even anything to investigate here. The stupid pig was killed in the fan. That’s it. What more do you need to know?

 

**JIN:** I was mainly wondering why you weren’t  _ with  _ him when he died. You’re meant to share a cabin with him, right? Why didn’t you notice that he was gone after night hours?

 

**SHIZUYA:** Because I never cared for the little prick, and I certainly don’t  _ now.  _ I knew he was out late last night, and he didn’t come back. That wasn’t  _ my  _ problem.

 

**JIN:** …

 

_ How can one woman be this selfish?! _

 

**JIN:** When do you think he left?

 

**SHIZUYA:** Pah, as if I’d know. I was busy.

 

**JIN:** Thanks for being so helpful, Shizuya.

 

**SHIZUYA:** It’s been a pleasure.

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Shizuya’s Testimony_ **

 

**SHIZUYA:** Here, have this.

 

_ Shizuya kicked the limb over to me- one of Tokiya’s arms.  _

 

**SHIZUYA:** Since you seemed so concerned about it.

 

_ Shizuya turned around, squeezing through the small gap between the rocks and the cave wall, disappearing from sight. Kotohiko sighed, kneeling down to pick up the arm.  _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Disgusted; holding arm] Eeugh… this is so gross.

 

_ I looked over at the arm, noticing a small scrap of paper stuck between two of the fingers. _

 

**JIN:** Hey, let me see that.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Handing over the arm] It’s all yours.

 

_ I took the paper from between the fingers, examining it. It was stained pretty thoroughly with blood, and it was small enough I probably couldn’t get any interesting information out of it even if it wasn’t stained. Still, this could be important if I could find the paper this came from. Maybe the killer had given Tokiya a note, telling him to meet up here? _

 

_ I pocketed the scrap, before setting down Tokiya’s arm on the ground. _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Bloody Scrap of Paper_ **

 

_ Now that it was just me and Kotohiko in here, I should probably start trying to find that weird rock I’d seen. It was kinda small in the photo, and I’d knocked over a lot of rocks getting the grate out, but I should still be able to find it if I used the photo as a reference. _

 

_ I knelt down in the main puddle of blood, trying not to grimace as the blood quickly stained through my pants. A lot of it had dried by now, but there were still some wet patches, and I was unlucky enough to have knelt directly in one. I rooted around for the stone, examining each one I came across to see if it matched the photo. _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] ...What on earth are you doing?

 

**JIN:** ...Looking for a rock.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** Uh… like a certain rock in particular, or  _ any  _ rock?

 

**KOTOHIKO:** ‘Coz there are… a  _ lot  _ of rocks around here.

 

**JIN:** What do  _ you  _ think, Kotohiko?

 

**KOTOHIKO:** I’m thinking a particular rock, but I might be wrong.

 

_ I finally found the stupid rock, trying to pick it up from the ground. Surprisingly, it seemed glued down there, but when I pressed down on it… _

 

_ -CLICK- _

 

_ The noises from the fan slowly died down, and Kotohiko knelt down on the ground next to me to look at the rock. This must be the switch that powers the fan… but why is it hidden? Shouldn’t something like this be bright red and- oh, I don’t know, not on the floor? _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Fan’s Switch_ **

 

**KOTOHIKO:** ...Is  _ that  _ the rock?

 

**JIN:** Yeah. It’s the on switch for the fan. Might be relevant in the case.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** ...Weird place for an on switch.

 

**JIN:** You’re telling me.

 

_ I stood up, looking around the crime scene. That was pretty much everything that stood out to me. I was getting ready to leave, hoisting myself up the rock wall, when I noticed something glittering in the sunlight. Curious, I furrowed my brow and stuck my hand between a gap in the rocks, grabbing onto something. _

 

_ Fuck, that hurt. _

 

_ I yanked my hand out of the hole, pulling out a bloody knife with me. I’d managed to slice a line straight across my palm by grabbing it, and winced. Monokuma’s nanobots should fix it up soon, but it still stung like hell.  _

 

**JIN:** What the hell…?

 

**KOTOHIKO (Voice):** What’d you find?

 

**JIN:** A knife.

 

_ I slid back down the rocks, showing the knife to Kotohiko. He frowned, taking the knife out of my hands and looking over it. _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Examining knife] But that doesn’t make any sense… this is covered in blood, but the victim didn’t die from a stabbing.

 

**JIN:** That’d be my fault. I cut my hand on it pulling it out.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** No, I mean… there’s  _ dried  _ blood on this. 

 

**JIN:** ...Well that’s interesting.

 

_ Kotohiko was right… there were brownish blood stains on the blade and handle of the knife. Interesting. _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Bloody Kitchen Knife_ **

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] I think that’s everything in here… should we start asking around for testimonies?

 

**JIN:** Heh. Spoken like a true sidekick.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Annoyed; one hand on hip] Hey, why am  _ I  _ the sidekick?!

 

**JIN:** Because you’re naive and loveable. 

 

**KOTOHIKO:** _ Hey _ , I’m not naive! You don’t know how messy some of the scandals I’ve covered can get!

 

**JIN:** I’m just saying. In comparison.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** Hmmph. 

 

_ The two of us climbed over the tower of rocks, siding down the other side and heading out of the cave. It was hard to get past the slippery wet rocks, especially since I already was a little shaky on my feet, but Kotohiko helped keep me steady. I jumped off the end of the rocks, landing on the bank of the river.  _

 

_ A few people were scattered around here- Hana was chatting to Renma by the bridge, and Ruka was shouting at Takaaki, who looked to be… tied up with a length of rope. Alright then. Renma and Hana certainly seemed like the most approachable right now… maybe I could tell Renma that her haruspicy had actually come true.  _

 

**JIN:** Hey, Renma, Hana.

 

**RENMA:** [Joyful; stretched out smile] AH! Mortal, you’ve been resuscitated! I knew I shouldn’t have doubted the necromancer’s abilities… 

 

**HANA:** [Relieved; gentle smile] What she means is we’re real glad ya managed to wake up so quickly. We thought we lost you, Jin! Don’t ever do that again!

 

**JIN:** Yeah, I’ll try to avoid being waterboarded next time.

 

**RENMA:** [Troubled; clutching wrist] But my haruspicy was correct, no? You should have been more on-guard, investigative mortal!

 

**RENMA:** It would be such a shame to see you perish so  _ early.  _

 

**JIN:** Hah, yeah. Sorry, I don’t really see dead bodies every day. Sorry for getting distracted, when I obviously should have been paying more attention to your haruspicy.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Annoyed; one hand on hip]  _ Jin!  _ Be nice!

 

**RENMA:** [Smirking; arms crossed] Your apology has been accepted, mortal one.

 

**JIN:** Takaaki’s bullshit temper aside… did any of you guys happen to notice anything weird last night? Did either of your buddies leave the cabin?

 

**RENMA:** [Annoyed; arms crossed] Pah! I  _ wish  _ mine did! 

 

**RENMA:** He was awake all night, scurrying across the room like some sort of vermin. He made me miss my nightly lunar rituals, all because he didn’t want me to leave the cabin!

 

**RENMA:** Eventually, I had to sleep in my dark catacombs, lest his ranting rot through my skull whilst I slept.

 

**JIN:** So Taichi didn’t leave? At all?

 

**RENMA:** ...He might have. But only past midnight.

 

**RENMA:** [Troubled; clutching wrist] I was asleep then. I have no knowing if he decided to leave.

 

**JIN:** That’s too late for him to have left the cabin to commit the murder, anyway.

 

**RENMA:** ...Why do you say that?

 

**JIN:** Because of the Monokuma File. It says he was killed around ten to eleven.

 

**RENMA:** [Confused; lifting fringe up to squint] Mono...kuma file? What is this dark contraption?

 

**JIN:** Uh… it’s an application. On the Monopad?

 

**RENMA:** [Annoyed; arms crossed] Bah! I tossed that away the moment I received it!

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Wait, you did?! How are you going to know if the rules change?!

 

**RENMA:** I have informants.

 

**HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] Uh, yeah. I’ll prolly tell her if somethin’ like that happens.

 

**JIN:** Well, thanks for your testimony anyway, Renma. At least I know Taichi didn’t do it now.

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Renma’s Testimony_ **

 

**JIN:** What about you, Hana?

 

**HANA:** Er… nothin’ that special. Hiroko ‘n I just talked for a while after the motive, then went ta sleep. I remember fallin’ asleep a lil’ bit after that nighttime announcement. 

 

**JIN:** I guess that rules out Hiroko as a suspect, too.

 

**HANA:** Yeah… She’s too much of a sweetie to kill anyone in the first place, I’m sure of it.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Whispering] Y-yeah, I’m gonna let you keep thinking that.

 

**HANA:** What was that?

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] N-nothing!

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Hana’s Testimony_ **

 

**JIN:** Hey, Kotohiko. We should get moving. 

 

**KOTOHIKO:** Right! Uh- thanks, Hana, Renma.

 

**HANA:** [Smiling softly] It’s no problem, you two. Be safe now, okay?

 

**JIN:** ...Yeah. We’ll try.

 

_ I walked away from the two of them, reluctantly heading over to Takaaki . Maybe I could kick him in the face while I got a testimony from Ruka. She certainly seemed pissed enough at him to allow it. _

 

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] You stupid piece of shit! Why the fuck would you jump to conclusions like that?!

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Bowed head] …

 

**RUKA:** Even if he  _ was  _ the killer, you had no evidence- god, you coulda become a murderer too, genius!

 

**TAKAAKI:** …

 

**RUKA:** Fuck you. I’m done. When you decide to be a better fuckin’ person, lemmie know.

 

_ Ruka stormed away from Takaaki, gripping her dress and lifting it up as she walked- presumably so that it wouldn’t get dragged along the ground. She nearly walked right past us, before doing a double take and letting out a long sigh. _

 

**RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] Ah… Jin.

 

**JIN:** Ruka.

 

**RUKA:** Listen, I am…  _ so  _ sorry for what- he’s not usually- well, he  _ is  _ usually like that, but… I’m sorry. On behalf of him.

 

**JIN:** You don’t have to apologise for him. You’re not responsible for him.

 

**RUKA:** [Tired; sighing] Yeah, I know. But he’s too much of an idiot to apologise on his own.

 

**JIN:** “Idiot” is one way of putting it.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] Hey, Ruka… I know this might not be the best time, but did you notice anything weird about your buddy last night? We’re collecting testimonies.

 

**RUKA:** [Confused; holding back of neck] My… buddy…?

 

**RUKA:** Ohhhhh… you mean Takaaki.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** Wait, Takaaki’s your buddy?

 

**JIN:** Weren’t you paying attention to the buttons?

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Er… not exactly. I was just waiting to see which button  _ you’d  _ get.

 

**RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] Hmm… Takaaki… I was. Not in the best mindset last night, so I went back to sleep as soon as I got back to the cabins.

 

**RUKA:** But… I did happen to hear someone moving around in the middle of the night. I’m a light sleeper, you know.

 

**RUKA:** I can’t tell you what time it was, and I went to sleep pretty soon after it.

 

**JIN:** Well, at least it’s something. Thanks for your time, Ruka.

 

**RUKA:** [Smiling daintily; curtseying] The pleasure was all mine, Jin. 

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Ruka’s Testimony_ **

 

**JIN:** Now, I gotta get-

 

_ Ruka gripped onto my shoulder, stopping me from leaving. _

 

**RUKA:** [Dead serious] Not so fast.

 

**JIN:** Huh?

 

**RUKA:** I… I need to tell you something. Alone.

 

_ Ruka glared at Kotohiko. He gulped, slowly backing away. _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** I’ll, uh… go catch up with Hitomiko. Get that evidence off of her. You cool with that, Jin?

 

**JIN:** Yeah… sure.

 

_ Kotohiko ran away, choosing to head into the forest and risk getting lost rather than navigate the rotten bridge. Considering how fast he was sprinting, I’d say he made the right choice. He might have fallen in the river otherwise. _

 

**RUKA:** [Raising questioning eyebrow] Well, he certainly seems to be in a hurry. I'm not…  _ that  _ intimidating, am I?

 

**JIN:** ...Kotohiko’s just- and I mean this in the kindest possible way- a bit of a wimp. 

 

**RUKA:** Hmmph. You can say that again. 

 

**RUKA:** I've been talking to Hiroko, and the poor dear says that Kotohiko won't even  _ look  _ at her! 

 

_...What is Kotohiko’s deal with Hiroko, actually? Ruka brings up a good point. I guess he knows more about her than the rest of us, so I should probably trust his judgement. _

 

**JIN:** ...Maybe there’s a reason for that. 

 

**JIN:** But, regardless, what was it you wanted to tell me about?

 

**RUKA:** [Troubled; looking off into the distance] ...I have a theory.

 

**JIN:** ...You have a theory. 

 

**JIN:** You’re going to have to be more specific.

 

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] Hey, cut it with that sarcastic crap!

 

**RUKA:** [Calming down; sighing] ...My apologies. I let my temper get the best of me again.

 

_ Ruka reached into the sling around her chest, pulling out a printed-out version of the photograph Monokuma displayed during the motive announcement. _

 

_ It looked exactly the same as the last time I’d seen it- Takaaki was grinning, holding Taichi in a friendly hug. I didn’t see the problem with it- despite the fact that last night’s memories started to resurface upon viewing it. _

 

**RUKA:** [Holding out photograph] ...Take it.

 

**JIN:** Where did you even get this?

 

**RUKA:** [Paranoid; shoving photo in my face] That doesn’t matter! But I can’t talk about it here. You’re going to have to wait until the trial, ya fuckin’ get that?

 

**RUKA:** [Struggling to regain composure] Er… I mean “you… effing get that.” I’m on edge, but that’s no excuse for my vulgarity.

 

_ I took the photo, stashing it in one of my pockets. _

 

**RUKA:** [Dead serious] When I unveil my theory, I want everyone’s attention on me. But I can’t say it out loud… Monokuma might shut me up.

 

**RUKA:** During the trial… I feel like it would be best if you presented this, and then allowed me to explain the rest. 

 

**RUKA:** People are more likely to believe my deductions if I have a detective backing me up, after all.

 

_ I flinched at the word “detective”, but nodded anyway. I didn’t entirely understand what Ruka could be getting at… but it was probably worth listening to.. She definitely believed it was important enough, anyway. _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Photograph of Takaaki and Taichi_ **

 

**RUKA:** [Conspiratorial wink] Keep this between you and me, you got that? If you go blabbing, I’d lose my credibility. 

 

**JIN:** My only question is… why didn’t you just ask Takaaki? He’s a police officer, so his word should be taken as strongly as mine…

 

**RUKA:** [Raising questioning eyebrow] Last time I checked, you hadn’t tried to drown anyone recently.

 

**JIN:** Fair point.

 

**RUKA:** [Back turned; waving] Well… that’s all I came to say to you. Good day, Jin. I gotta go yell at my favourite motherfucker some more, so I’ll catch ya later.

 

_ Ruka walked off, and I was left with a vague sense of confusion. She’s a very confusing person. Especially seeing as she can’t seem to decide whether she’s trying to come off as rude or refined. _

 

_ I turned back towards the stream, finding that Ruka and Hana had presumably left to go investigate elsewhere. Thinking back to it… hadn’t I noticed something suspicious earlier this morning? _

 

_ I walked to the side of the river, crouching down to pull a rotten plank of wood away from the bank. This loose board from the bridge certainly hadn’t been here the first time I’d visited the waterfall, but it  _ **_had_ ** _ been here this morning. Sure, Isana or Takaaki could have broken it, but something tells me someone would have had to be  _ **_running_ ** _ along the bridge in order to do this amount of damage to it. _

 

_ In any case, it would be worth it to record it down as evidence. _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Rotten Plank from Bridge_ **

 

_ I straightened up, placing the plank back down where I found it. I had two options as of now- go back across the bridge, now that even more of the planks had loosened and I was significantly dizzy, or I could risk getting lost in the forest and missing the trial. _

 

_ … _

 

_ I don’t know what Monokuma would do to me if I missed it, so it looked like I would just have to put all my effort into not dying. I walked towards the bridge, being extra careful to grip onto the railings and take it slow. The crashing of the waterfall echoed in my ears, drowning out any creaks the bridge may have been making. I tested each plank in front of me as I went, skipping over the ones that looked like they could snap in two if I stood on them wrong. _

 

_ Eventually I made it to the other side without drowning myself again. Now  _ **_that_ ** _ was a cause for celebration.  _

 

_ I decided to take the shortcut to the frog pond, as I assumed most of my classmates had looped back around here rather than following the stream back to the ampitheatre. I pushed aside some foliage, stepping into the small clearing… and a near-apocalyptic wasteland greeted me.  _

 

_ Okay, maybe that was exaggerating, but the area had clearly seen better days. The lily pads had been pulled out of the pond, and they were scattered around the area. The bridge that crossed over it had been torn to pieces, the planks of wood haphazardly piled up next to the tunnel. The small frog figurines that once lined the edge of the pond had been shattered. _

 

_ Koichi stood in the middle of all this mess, looking like he was on the edge of a nervous breakdown.  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Panicked; clutching shoulders] They’ve completely destroyed the place! What the heck!

 

**JIN:** ...What happened?

 

**KOICHI:** Do you think  _ I  _ know?! Someone’s just- destroyed everything!

 

**JIN:** Well, yeah, I can see that.

 

**JIN:** Maybe you should be more worried about the actual  _ murder  _ than happened then, I dunno, some simple property damage?

 

**JIN:** Someone probably just got stressed out after the motive and decided to take it out on the bridge. And the lily pads. And the frogs.

 

**KOICHI:** Well, yes, but… someone  _ that  _ violent surely shouldn’t be allowed to run free! How are we meant to foster camp spirit if people just destroy the facilities provided to us whenever they get angry?!

 

**JIN:** Koichi. Calm your shit. 

 

**JIN:** There has been a  _ murder.  _ Say it with me: “mur-der”. Who  _ cares  _ about a  _ bridge?!  _

 

**KOICHI:** _ I  _ care!

 

**JIN:** God, you are- you are insufferable, you know that?!

 

**JIN:** Everybody else is busting their ass trying to find the killer, and you’re here- what, having a goddamn  _ hissy fit  _ over your bullshit “camp spirit”?!

 

_ Koichi tugged defensively at his ascot, lowering his hat so it covered his eyes. He sniffled. Suddenly, I felt guilty. This whole bullshit killing game has set me on edge… made me forget that sometimes people cope with traumatic experiences by hyper focusing on minor inconveniences.  _

 

**JIN:** Look… if it makes you feel any better… I’ll bring this up during the trial.

 

**JIN:** Who knows, maybe it’ll link back to the main case.

 

**KOICHI:** [Hesitant; biting finger] ...Thank you. I, uh… you’re right, though. I… I just. I don’t want to  _ think  _ about the murder.

 

**KOICHI:** This was… we were meant to be  _ above  _ this, Jin. 

 

**KOICHI:** And… now. Now someone’s  _ dead. _

 

**JIN:** Look… I didn’t want to think this would happen either. But it did, so now we just have to deal with it.

 

**JIN:** I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to end up like Tokiya any time soon. We just have to get this over with, find the killer… and then we can work towards fixing our situation.

 

**KOICHI:** ...Right.

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Destroyed Frog Pond_ **

 

**JIN:** Now… even though you’re my “buddy”, I’m gonna have to treat you like every other witness. Did you see or hear anything strange during the hours of 10 to 11 pm last night?

 

**KOICHI:** [Mischievous; winking] Uh… well, yeah, actually. I heard  _ you  _ admit that you’re a virgin.

 

_ I turned bright red, smacking Koichi on the arm. He yelped, clutching it and shooting me a dirty look. _

 

**JIN:** Can you just… take this seriously? God, the way you can flip from- how quickly you can just become a little- ugh. Nevermind.

 

**KOICHI:** [Awkward; half-smiling] ...Not the best time for a joke, now that I look back on it… Ahem. Uh. 

 

**KOICHI:** But really… that is my alibi. And your alibi too! We were out stargazing. So… I guess that means we both didn’t do it?

 

**JIN:** Well, I already knew that. But… did you happen to see anything in the forest? You know, on the way to the hill and back.

 

**JIN:** I wasn’t really in the right… headspace to be paying any attention, so I guess that’s my bad.

 

**KOICHI:** [Concentrating; both eyes squeezed shut] Hmm… Let me think.

 

**KOICHI:** Hmm… huh…

 

**KOICHI:** Mmm… hmmm… hmmmmmmmmm… 

 

**JIN:** Got anything?

 

**KOICHI:** [Eyes closed; holding up finger] Shh. Don’t interrupt my process.

 

**KOICHI:** Hmmm. Hmm-hmmmmm-hm-hmmm-!

 

**KOICHI:** [Realisation; eyes shooting open] Oh yeah! 

 

**KOICHI:** I think when we were… coming back from the hill? I heard someone else moving around in the forest near us. I thought it was just someone going to get a breather, so I didn’t think a lot of it.

 

**KOICHI:** Pretty suspicious, right?

 

**JIN:** Let’s just hope you’re remembering correctly.

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Koichi’s Testimony_ **

 

**KOICHI:** [Saluting] I hope that helped, Jin! 

 

**JIN:** I hope it helped too. Guess I’m not gonna know until the trial, huh.

 

**KOICHI:** And, while I’m at it…

 

**KOICHI:** [Apologetic; hiding eyes with hat] I… I’m sorry.

 

**KOICHI:** I was a bit of an asshole last night. And I shouldn’t have been so presumptuous. 

 

**KOICHI:** I really don’t know what got into me. You don’t have to forgive me if you don’t want to, but just know that I really am sorry.

 

**JIN:** Hey… you don’t have to apologise. It’s not that big of a deal.

 

**JIN:** I think we’re all on-edge now. I’m just lucky it wasn’t  _ Takaaki  _ who wanted to make out with me.

 

**KOICHI:** [Grinning; eyes closed] Snnk- c’mon, Jin, don’t be rude to the-

 

**KOICHI:** [Awkward; half-smiling] Actually… he tried to kill you, so I think that’s pretty fair. Insult away.

 

**JIN:** Nice to know I have your permission.

 

_ Koichi smiled at me, before walking to the pile of planks and picking up a few. _

 

**KOICHI:** [Determined; holding planks] I’m gonna take this moment to try and fix the bridge. You carry on- I’ll be here until the trial starts.

 

**JIN:** Good luck.

 

_ I waved goodbye to Koichi, before heading down the tunnel and exiting into the amphitheatre- and immediately managing to smack straight into Kotohiko. _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest]  _ Gah-! _

 

**JIN:** _ Fuck! _

 

_ I grabbed onto the edge of the tunnel to prevent myself from falling over. Kotohiko stumbled, but ultimately regained his balance. He blinked a couple of times, still in shock, before looking at me and laughing. Had his eyes always been that blue? _

 

_ God fucking damn it, Jin. Murder case. Remember that. Murder case. M-U-R-D-E-R C-A-S-E. _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Ah, sorry, I didn’t see you there!

 

**KOTOHIKO:** But- uh- I got you the evidence!

 

_ Kotohiko held out a scrap of paper, addressed to one “Miss Hitomiko”. I took the paper from him, scanning the words hastily scrawled on it. _

 

_ Miss Hitomiko, _

_ Hey, how you doing? _

_ I just gotta say- since we’re all gonna die here,  _

_ how bout we make a special night together? _

_...If you catch my drift. _

_ I dunno how long we’re gonna be alive. _

_ But if you wanna make some memories, _

_ Meet me by the waterfall. _

_ I'll be out there most nights. _

_ It’s romantic, right? _

_ From, a secret admirer. ;) _

 

**JIN:** This is… disgusting.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Face wrinkled in disgust] Yeah, I know. Apparently Tokiya slipped this under the door the first night we got here.

 

**JIN:** God, he was hitting on her  _ that  _ early?

 

**KOTOHIKO:** Yup. 

 

**KOTOHIKO:** Anyway, Hitomiko thought this would be important, so…

 

**JIN:** No, yeah, it definitely is. At least we know why he was by the waterfall, now…

 

**JIN:** God, he waited there every night? Seriously?

 

**KOTOHIKO:** ...Not to speak ill of the dead, but… Tokiya’s kinda gross. 

 

**JIN:** You can say that twice.

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Tokiya’s Love Letter_ **

 

_ I slipped the letter into a pocket, turning to face the cabins. _

 

**JIN:** Alright… do you want to go get more testimonies with me, or-

 

_ Before I could finish my sentence, a crackle of static rung out around the area. _

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** Attention, my dearest little shitheads!

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** The time for investigating is now  _ over!  _ The class trial will begin as soon as all participants enter the amphitheatre!

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** There’s a five minute time limit for you to get there, so you better move your asses! Upupupupupupupu!

 

_ I turned to look at Kotohiko, uncertainty written all over my face. Did we really have enough evidence to catch a killer? I hadn’t even managed to gather testimonies from everyone… _

 

_ One by one, the rest of the class piled in- Takaaki being the last one to attend (still tied up- Ruka had apparently dragged him over to the ampitheatre). Monokuma stood on the stage, rocking back and forth on his feet, as he surveyed the crowd. _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Happy; holding belly] Alrighty then! That’s everyone, and with thirty seconds to spare! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** Now, I know this is your first Class Trial, so I’ve gathered here today to escort you to the trial premises!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Next time I won’t be so generous, so you better be paying attention, you stupid kids.

 

**KOICHI:** [Shouting] There’s not going to be a ‘next time’! We’re not going to-

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] Can it, buddybear! Why don’t you try preaching that to  _ Tokiya!  _ Think he’d agree with you?

 

**KOICHI:** [Sad; clutching arm] …

 

**MONOKUMA:** Yeah, that’s what I thought. 

 

_ Monokuma hopped off of the stage, waddling up the steps and towards the forest. He turned before he entered it, glaring at us. _

 

**MONOKUMA:** What are you waiting for, an invitation?! Follow me!

 

_ Kotohiko reached out and gripped my hand tight. I squeezed it back, offering him a comforting look. And then we marched onwards… through the forest. Through the undergrowth. Through several bushes that Monokuma had to slice out of his way… Until we reached the door.  _

 

_ The thing was still as ominous as it had always been, a steel monster stuck straight in the middle of a forest clearing. The illusion of the walls stretched on forever, but this time it had been altered to show the trees slowly dying the further the forest went. The air felt stale, cold- as if we were standing in the maws of death itself. _

 

_ I ran my thumb slowly over Kotohiko’s as I scanned the group. Fifteen of us remained, in various states of disarray- but as soon as we entered the door, only fourteen of us would be coming out. And if I failed… only one would leave. At least I wouldn’t be around for long to bask in my failure before I was killed. _

 

_ The silence was oppressive, weighing down on us all as we silently watched Monokuma walk over to the door, tap his paw against a scanner, and stand back. The door didn’t creak open, like I expected- in fact, the quiet hiss of it opening did almost nothing to break the ever-present silence. The only sound I had to focus on was the beating of my heart, slowly quickening in pace. _

 

_ As we marched slowly, steadily into the jaws of the door, I knew that this would be the greatest challenge I would ever have to face. _

 

_ And if anything went wrong… it would certainly be the  _ **_last._ **

 

**“A FOREST OF LOST SOULS” DAILY LIFE - END**

 

**15 STUDENTS REMAINING**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a new poll for the Chapter One killer, now that the evidence has been revealed: http://www.strawpoll.me/14694265


	7. CHAPTER ONE: "A Forest of Lost Souls" [PART FOUR]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here it is! The trial! 
> 
> For your convenience, here's a list of truth bullets. They'll be needed for the interactive portions of the fic!
> 
> #01 - Ventilation Fan  
> A sharp, four-bladed fan that's around the same height as an average teenager. Monokuma used this to ventilate the area. The murder weapon.
> 
> #02 - Dismembered Limbs  
> Tokiya's dismembered limbs, cut off presumably by the fan. Three of them were severed- both of his arms, and one of his legs.
> 
> #03 - Fan’s Safety Grate  
> A large metal grate that was hidden behind a pile of rocks. It's plastered in warning signs, and is missing four of its screws. 
> 
> #04 - Hitomiko’s Photographs  
> Several photographs of the crime scene, from different angles. In one of them, there's a visible bloodless patch over a strange-looking rock.
> 
> #05 - Shizuya’s Testimony  
> According to Shizuya, Tokiya was out late last night and never returned back to the cabin. She can't remember the time he left.
> 
> #06 - Bloody Scrap of Paper  
> A ripped piece of paper that was found in Tokiya's hand. Any text that would have been on it was made illegible by the blood. 
> 
> #07 - Fan’s Switch  
> A strange-looking rock that stuck up from the ground. When you press down on it, it stops the fan.
> 
> #08 - Bloody Kitchen Knife  
> A knife hidden in the large pile of rocks. It's covered in old, brown blood.
> 
> #09 - Renma’s Testimony  
> According to Renma, Taichi did not leave their cabin during the time of the murder, and insisted that Renma stay in the cabin as well. Interestingly enough, Renma also stated that she threw her Monopad away. 
> 
> #10 - Hana’s Testimony  
> According to Hana, Hiroko did not leave their cabin during the time of the murder, and is reportedly "too much of a sweetie" to commit murder anyway.
> 
> #11 - Ruka’s Testimony  
> According to Ruka's testimony, she fell asleep early, but heard someone move around the cabin in the middle of the night.
> 
> #12 - Photograph of Takaaki and Taichi  
> A photograph of Takaaki and Taichi in their Hope's Peak uniforms. This was a part of the motive reveal, and also apparently a part of Ruka's theory.
> 
> #13 - Rotten Plank from Bridge  
> A rotten plank found in the riverbed. This apparently came from the bridge connecting the different sides of the waterfall clearing.
> 
> #14 - Destroyed Frog Pond  
> The frog pond from earlier has been completely torn apart. The bridge was disassembled, the lily pads were uprooted, and the frog statuettes were smashed.
> 
> #15 - Koichi’s Testimony  
> According to Koichi, he heard someone move around the forest during the end of our... outing. He believes this to be the murderer.
> 
> #16 - Tokiya’s Love Letter  
> A love letter, clearly from Tokiya. This was slid underneath Hitomiko's door during the first night of our stay here. It explains that Tokiya would be hanging around the waterfall area most nights.

_ The darkness surrounding us was heavy, oppressive, menacing.  _

 

_ The doors had slid shut behind us once everyone had entered through the door- which seemingly led to a small room. No matter how hard I tried, my eyes couldn’t adjust to the darkness. It was like I was swimming in an endless void- and only the smooth, metal wall pressed against my side, and the tight grip Kotohiko had on my hand grounded me in this moment.  _

 

_ With nothing to focus my eyes on, I was forced to consider the scene of the murder. Images of Tokiya’s gorey body flashed through my subconscious, as well as the evidence I had gathered. I never wanted this to happen. I always knew, deep down, that it would- if not now, then sometime in the future. Monokuma was committed to his goal. He would keep us here for weeks, for months, for years, for our entire life- straining our sanity until one of us snapped.  _

 

_ The only solace I could find was that at least it hadn’t been someone I was close to- but even that was a stupid thing to think. It didn’t matter who the victim was, just that someone had died.  _

 

_ And that someone among us, hiding away, was a killer. _

 

_ I’d seen dead bodies before. I’d investigated them, I’d watched people die, I’d even sent a few people to death myself. But this was on some other level. This was somehow far worse than watching a hostage negotiation go wrong, or inspecting a body in a morgue, or watching in court as a perpetrator was dragged away to spend his final days on death row. This was a situation so twisted it was hard to comprehend.  _

 

_ Everyone else seemed to be thinking the same as me, judging from the heavy silence filling the room. Only the sound of shallow breathing, fabric rusting, and the occasional shuffle of shoes on the metal floor betrayed the presence of any human here at all. It was evident that everyone felt the same weight on them, the same horrified realisation that their lives hinged on these next few hours.  _

 

_ And for one of them… their life hinged on killing everyone else. _

 

_ All too soon, the silence was shattered by Monokuma’s annoying, overly chipper voice. I gritted my teeth together in distaste. _

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** Alrighty then! Now that everyone’s in here, we can get started with the main event!

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** Time to start your journey into the bowels of despair! Oh, I haven’t had a thrill like this since- well, forever!

 

_ A loud click rang out through the room, followed by a series of lights lining the walls suddenly illuminating. They were bright blue, and almost so bright they seared my eyes. I squeezed my eyes shut tight, opening them gradually in an attempt to get them to adjust without much pain. Afterimages of the lights danced around the room once I had them open, and a quick glance told me that everyone else was having a similar problem adjusting from the complete darkness. _

 

_ The room around us was definitely far too small for 15 people- and that fact was ominous in itself. There was no way it could have fit 16. This room was specifically designed to only be entered once someone had been murdered. Kotohiko was squeezed up next to me, trying to take up as little space as possible. It was hard to see where Monokuma was- he was much smaller than everyone else, and there was no way I would be able to see a three foot teddy bear amongst this sort of crowd. _

 

_ I moved to shuffle forward and get a better vantage point, but Kotohiko held tightly to my hand. Looking back at him, I could see how nervous he was- quite possibly, he was suffering from claustrophobia. Once that thought hit me, I discovered the same anxieties were rapidly rising inside me as well.  _

 

_ Everything felt so cramped, so tight. A couple people had started pushing at the walls or each other, trying to get just the smallest bit of personal space. Sadamu, standing in one of the corners, had lifted up Maiku to get him away from the crowded floor of the elevator. That was probably a good idea- he was one of the shortest people here, and I could easily see someone larger trampling him if he got knocked to the floor. _

 

_ But still, somehow… one of us was pushing her way past the crowd and towards the front of the room.  _

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] Monokuma!

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** Huh? 

 

_ Shizuya’s heels clacked against the metal floor as she shoved Hana straight onto the ground. Renma seemed to send her a withering gaze. I couldn't quite see on account of her fringe, but the animosity radiating off of her was tangible.  _

 

**SHIZUYA:** Are you going to explain yourself?! Are we meant to have the trial in  _ this  _ shithole? 

 

**SHIZUYA:** I expected nothing, and you  _ still  _ managed to let me down. 

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Disgusted; gesturing to surroundings] Does it look like we’ll be able to solve a murder in this- this  _ broom closet?!  _

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** ...Broom closet? Upupupu! You're rich!

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** This is an  _ elevator,  _ numbnuts! Of  _ course  _ I'm not gonna hold the trial here, what kind of a bear do you think I am?!

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** I'm offended at the very thought!

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Scowling; staring down nose] Well,  _ excuse  _ me for not trusting your taste in  _ decor-  _

 

_...Wait, what was that Monokuma just said? _

 

**JIN:** Hang on- we’re in an  _ elevator?! _

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** Uh, duuuuuuuh! Doesn't this look like an elevator to you? 

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** Puhuhu! Kids these days are so uncultured! It's like you've been raised on a farm!

 

**SADAMU:** [Tense; teeth clenched] ...No need to throw me and Hana under the bus like that. 

 

**HANA:** [Confused; pressing fingertips together] ...Hmm?

 

**HANA:** [Realisation; pointing up in air] Oh!

 

**HANA:** [Awkward; combing hands through hair] Um… yeah, don't yall go talkin’ bad ‘bout us country kids! We’re not all a bunch’a hicks!

 

**HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] ‘Sides… this elevator don't look like nothin’ I've seen before…

 

**MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] ...Probably because you've never been… in a space station before…

 

_ The elevator really was strange, though… for one, there were no visible buttons anywhere, just a panel by the side of the opposite wall from the one we entered… a panel that, if I squinted, I could see a small white paw slowly reach up and touch.  _

 

_ All of a sudden, the room started moving forwards. I nearly fell off my feet, stumbling backwards and bumping directly into Hiroko. She pushed me off of her, and I managed to regain my balance. From the various shouts ringing out from around me, I could tell that some of us weren’t so lucky.  _

 

**ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] Eek!

 

**MINON:** [Wincing; holding head] A little… warning would be nice…

 

**HANA:** [Shocked; eyes blown wide] Er… sorry, dearie! I bumped right inta ya!

 

**RENMA:** [Blushing; twiddling fingers] I-It’s… it’s fine, my d-dear. I wa- I’m happy to be your buffer against the perils of gravity!

 

**RENMA:** [Annoyed; arms crossed] That being said… Monokuma, you foul beast! How dare you disrupt the internal peace of a Dark Lady such as her?!

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** Wha-wha-what? You’re blaming  _ me  _ for her falling over? 

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** Is there anything you ungrateful bastards  _ won’t  _ blame me for?!

 

**KOICHI:** [Hesitant; biting finger] I mean, to be fair, you  _ did  _ trap us in a killing game… uh…  _ and  _ you made the elevator move!

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** I thought you guys  _ wanted  _ to break free of this… oh, how did you put it? Broom closet! Make up your minds, already! 

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** ...And after I put so much effort into decorating the trial room to look all special… my hard work never goes unpunished. 

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Tied up; duct tape over mouth] Mmmph-mmh-hmmph.

 

_...Wait a second. Was Takaaki  _ **_still_ ** _ tied up?! _

 

**JIN:** ...Weren’t we supposed to let him free? And who put  _ duct tape  _ over his mouth?!

 

**RUKA:** [Grinning; thumbs up] Well, yeah, I was gonna let this son of a bitch free, but then he kept bein’ a shit, so I didn’t!

 

**RUKA:** [Embarrassed; covering mouth] Er- wait, I mean-

 

**RUKA:** [Clearing throat] Ahem. I was going to let my wonderful best friend free, but I was worried that his… vulgar remarks could only serve to escalate the tense situation, so I kept him bound up. 

 

**HIROKO:** [Smirking; eyebrow raised] You know, you don’t have to censor yourself. Say fuck if you wanna.

 

**RUKA:** [Annoyed; narrowed eyes] I  _ know  _ that. I just thought- this is a situation where one has to remain composed, is it not?

 

**RUKA:** [Determined; punching fist in air] In times like these, if you can do your best to keep a level head, you should!

 

**HIROKO:** A’ight, princess. I’m just gonna take it easy. ‘S not like I cared about that punk bitch anyway.

 

**MAIKU:** [Horrified; jaw agape] That’s an awful thing to say, Miss Hiroko!

 

**HIROKO:** [Pissed off; middle finger raised] What’s it to ya? This conversation doesn’t fuckin’ include you, pretty boy. 

 

_ Maiku opened his mouth to argue, but before he could, the front wall slid open. I guess that was a door too… considering this was an elevator, I probably should have guessed that. Monokuma wasted no time waddling out of it, into an… almost indescribably intimidating room.  _

 

_ It was massive- with ceilings at least three storeys high. The room looked to resemble a flattened sphere- the walls curved inwards towards the ceiling, and they were lined with glowing blue monitors. In the centre of the room was a ring of podiums, each with several monitors of their own attached to them. On the front of each podium was the kanji for our names etched into them, effectively designating us positions to stand.  _

 

_ One of the podiums looked quite unique- instead of being a traditional one to stand at, it had a levitating leather seat floating behind it, and was completely lacking in monitors. Instead, there was only a single red button ominously placed on top of the podium. I assumed this was Monokuma’s seat.  _

 

_ It seemed like we were all frozen in place inside the elevator, even as Monokuma walked over to his seat and hopped on, squirming slightly in order to get comfortable. Shizuya was the second one to head out of the elevator, but that did nothing to ease the tension- for once in her life, she looked subdued, awed, maybe even humbled. She was hesitant in her steps, as she climbed up to stand on her podium, before sweeping her gaze over to us. _

 

_...And in her eyes, all I could see was fear. _

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Wide-eyed; nervous] W...What are  _ you  _ all w-waiting for? 

 

**SHIZUYA:** Surely you can’t e-enjoy being trapped in that claustrophobic b-box. 

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] You heard the lady! Waddaya waiting for? 

 

_ Sadamu- or, rather, Sadamu and Maiku, were the next to emerge. Sadamu placed Maiku down silently at his podium, looking rather grateful that he was assigned one directly next to him. After that, the rest of us slowly followed, marching towards our podiums like we were marching towards the gallows.  _

 

_ As I stepped onto my podium, I could feel it levitate slightly off the ground. I almost lost my balance, but a sudden invisible border around the back of my podium stopped me from falling off. I assumed it was the nanobots working as a force field again. My monitors switched on, displaying the “TRUTH BULLETS” section of my Monopad on one of them, the Monokuma file on another, and a panel filled with portraits of my classmates on the final one. The title on the top of the screen read “VOTING SCREEN”. I pushed that one away from me for now, focusing on the other two monitors. _

 

_ I was just about to open my mouth to start running though the case, when Hitomiko’s voice cut through the heavy silence of the room. _

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Confused; head cocked] Uh… what the hell is  _ that?!  _

 

_ She pointed to the empty podium to her left- or, well, not-so-empty podium. Instead of somebody standing there, a projection of Tokiya was standing there, a glowing red X slashed through his face.  _

 

_ It was… disturbing, to say the least.  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Head tilted; paw touching mouth] Oh, that?

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] Well, I was thinking to myself, and I decided that these trials would be no fun if the dead students had to miss out on them too!

 

**MONOKUMA:** Soooooo, I just had some of my nanobots project an image of your dearly departed buddy! Now this is a whole-class event!

 

**SADAMU:** [Scowling; hair covering eyes] ...This is sick.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; staring at floor] Aw… I thought you guys would really like this surprise!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] I have half a mind to just skip the explanation part of this trial and leave you ungrateful lot to figure things out yourself!

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] No, wait- don’t skip it!

 

**KOTOHIKO:** The uh… the hologram is… uh… 

 

**KOTOHIKO:** ...It could be more tasteless. So, um… thank you?

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] Aww, stop it, you! You’re gonna make me blush!

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Face wrinkled in disgust] Eugh… 

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] Alrighty then! In this little trial, you’re going to be trying to figure out whodunnit! Present your arguments and your theories, and maybe you’ll be able to pin down the culprit!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Gesturing to podiums] As you can see, I’ve graciously given you three little monitor doo-hickeys for you to oogle, if staring into the judging eyes of your peers gets too much for ya. 

**MONOKUMA:** One of these contains your “Truth Bullets”, pieces of evidence you’ve recorded during investigation time! Better hope you wrote down the right info, or else you’re gonna be in biiiiiiiiiiiig trouble!

 

**MONOKUMA:** For those of you who  _ didn’t  _ use the feature- lookin’ at you technophobes and tied-up would-be-killers out there- tough shit! Have fun with a blank page!

 

**MONOKUMA:** The middle monitor has the Monokuma File on it, for easy access! And the last monitor is the most special monitor at all- your  _ voting  _ monitor! Simply press your grimey little fingers on the photo of your suspect to lock in your suspicions!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying back side] Be careful, though! You can change your vote at any time during the trial, but once time runs up, your final vote will be- well, final! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** There’s no penalty for voting wrong… unless more than half of the students vote wrong as well! If that’s the case, you’re all gonna be royally screwed, and the blackened gets a one-way ticket back to Earth! 

 

**KOICHI:** [Hesitant; biting finger] Er… Monokuma? I have a question.

 

**KOICHI:** When… when  _ do  _ we run out of time?

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Belly laughing] Whenever I get bored! Gwahahahaha!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying back side] So you sons-of-bitches better keep me entertained, or I’m slamming down the gavel faster than you can say “I’m innocent”!

 

**ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] I-I’m not good under time pressure!

 

**ISANA:** [Crying; tugging on ponytails]  _ I’m gonna diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! _

 

**JIN:** Hold it together, Isana!

 

**JIN:** I’m sure we can figure this out…

 

**TAICHI:** [Cowering; clutching hair ] Ngnnnn… we’re doomed!

 

**JIN:** I  _ said,  _ hold it together!

 

**JIN:** We’re not going to get anywhere if we keep getting upset.

 

**HIROKO:** [Smirking; eyebrow raised] ...Oh yeah? Then tell us, Sherlock, how  _ are  _ we gonna get anywhere?

 

**HIROKO:** They’re a murderer, right? They’re smart enough to set up a murder plan, who’s to say they’re not smart enough to send us on a wild goose chase?

 

**JIN:** Nghn… well, if we just look at the evi-

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Angered; pointing] Hey, quit it! Jin didn’t get into this school for  _ nothing,  _ you know!   
  


**HIROKO:** Oh yeah? What  _ did  _ he get in for, then. Enlighten me. I mean, one of us is the best cop in the world, right? And  _ he  _ couldn’t even stop a murder from happening. What makes your  _ boyfriend  _ any different?

 

**JIN:** Uh, gu-

 

**KOTOHIKO:** Jin is not my- I mean, not- shut up! Jin has far more talent than  _ you! _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Starry-eyed; drooling] Born into the Kirigiri Clan on June 30th, 1973, he was raised among the elites of the detective world! When he decided to branch off into his own agency at the age of thirteen, Jin instantly had it made. With high-class customers, some even  _ royalty  _ of minor countries, Jin’s reputation soared. Ultimately, his quick-thinking and impressive detective work, as well as his drive and skill in entrepreneurship, landed him a spot in Hope’s Peak’s 58th class! 

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Winking; throwing up peace sign] Read more about Jin’s cutting-edge casework in the next installment of Hope Among Us, coming out Thursday next week! 

 

**JIN:** …

 

**HIROKO:** …

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Wiping drool from mouth] ...Uh, I went a little overboard, didn’t I?

 

**HIROKO:** [Sarcastic; both eyebrows raised] ... _ You think? _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** I mean… What I’m saying is…

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Angered; pointing] At least Jin’s not a  _ murderer  _ like you! I bet you probably killed Tokiya too!

 

**JIN:** Woah, Kotohiko! It’s too early to start pinning the blame on-

 

**HIROKO:** [Enraged; raising fist] Alright, you little bitch! You wanna go?! We can go!

 

* * *

 

_ Ah, sorry for interrupting. This is quite a high-tension point, right? I’ll let you go back to the trial in a second, but I have to explain a few things for you before we begin the Non-Stop Debate. This is one of the interactive portions of this work. To participate in the Non-Stop Debates, make sure you’ve allowed the Creator’s Style for this work. Then, all you have to do is match up the truth bullets with the weak points, which will be bolded. The answer will be revealed at the end of the Debate- to view it, simply hover over the text called “ANSWER” (if you’re on a computer), or click on it (if you’re on a mobile device). You got that? Good. _

 

_ This is the only time the narrative will be interrupted to explain game mechanics. The rest of the in-story interactive games will still have similar premises to this one, with minor differences. In each one, the solution to the game will be presented in the same hovertext as the answer to this one. I don’t want to keep you for any longer, so have fun with the interactivity feature, and remember- if you ever want to stop playing the games and just read through the story instead, you can turn off the Creator’s Style so that the answers will be instantly accessible. _

 

* * *

 

**_NON-STOP DEBATE: START!_ **

 

**Truth Bullets: Hitomiko’s Photographs / Bloody Kitchen Knife / Hana’s Testimony**

 

* * *

 

**HIROKO:** Alright, you little twerp. You think I’m the killer?  _ Prove it.  _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** Proof? How about the fact  **you have a history?!** You were under suspicion for murder just a few months before you got accepted into Hope’s Peak!

 

**KOTOHIKO:** And I  _ know  _ you did it!

 

**HIROKO:** That’s not proof! That’s just you pullin’ shit outta your ass!

 

**RENMA:** [Troubled; clutching wrist] Feh… wouldn’t that incriminate me as well? I’ve committed more  **human sacrifices** than you can count, mortal!

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Ngh… I  _ know that…  _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Angered; pointing] But Hiroko said it herself! She  **hates Tokiya** ! Hell, she’s even glad he’s dead!

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Conflicted; wincing] Uh… aren’t we  _ all  _ glad he’s dead? 

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Panicked; tugging on collar] Unless… Eep-! Was I the  **only one** who  _ wasn’t  _ upset?!

 

**HIROKO:** We all hate the dude, what’s your fuckin’ point?!

 

**KOTOHIKO:** My point is, there’s no way you didn’t do it! You have history, an  **opportunity** , and a motive!

 

**HIROKO:** Uh,  _ yeah _ , but no evidence!

 

**MINON:** [Yawning; hand covering mouth] Mnnn… can you guys calm down…? I’m  **trying to sleep** …

 

Refute 'opportunity' with 'Hana's Testimony'

 

* * *

 

**JIN:** _ No, that’s wrong! _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest] H-huh?!

 

**JIN:** I’m sorry, Kotohiko, but that’s just not it. Hana clearly testified that Hiroko was still in their cabin past the time of the murder… er, and that she’s too much of a ‘sweetie’ to kill someone, if that means anything. 

 

**JIN:** I mean, you were there with us when she told us about it. Isn’t that true, Hana?

 

**HANA:** [Determined; hands balled into fists] That’s darn right! Hiroko helped me through my post-motive jitters! She wouldn’t hurt a fly!

 

**HANA:** I’m mighty disappointed in you, Kotohiko. Don’t you go runnin’ your tongue like that!

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] I… I’m sorry. You’re right, I got carried away.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** I… I’m just- the killer is one of you guys, and I want to trust all of you!

 

**KOTOHIKO:** So it was easier to just… not trust the person I  _ already  _ didn’t trust. 

 

**HIROKO:** [Pissed off; middle finger raised] Then why didn’t ya suspect Taichi! He’s fuckin’ suspicious as all shit!

 

**KOTOHIKO:** Um… because I know what his talent is?

 

**KOTOHIKO:** I mean, I don’t know much about  _ him _ , but his talent is pretty harmless! I guess since you guys don’t know it, it’s easier not to trust him… 

 

**TAICHI:** [Accusing; shakily pointing] A-and you b-better not t-tell  _ anyone!  _

 

**JIN:** ...Why? If Kotohiko’s right, I’m sure none of us will care what it is.

 

**TAICHI:** [Blushing; covering face with hands] I-It’s… It’s embarrassing, o-okay!

 

**TAICHI:** S-so nobody n-needs to know!

 

**MINON:** [Absent; sucking on fingers] ...Mmmm… nobody cares anyway… 

 

**MINON:** ...Why aren’t we focusing on the murder, again? 

 

**JIN:** Right. Our first point of action should be covering the basics.

 

**JIN:** The murder weapon is pretty obvious… the ventilation fan. There’s no other weapon that could have caused even mutilation like that… even if you used a knife, the Monokuma File specified that he was  _ mangled  _ to death by his injuries. You wouldn’t be able to achieve pure “mangling” with a knife, unless you were… particularly persistent. And dedicated.

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] Such… in depth analysis. I applaud you.

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] As if that wouldn’t already be obvious to anybody with  _ eyes!  _

 

**JIN:** I was just  _ clarifying  _ what we  _ already knew _ , but thanks for your input.

 

**SHIZUYA:** You’re welcome.

 

**JIN:** Anyway… we also know that the murder took place between ten and eleven o’clock last night. Anyone who has an alibi between then is safe… from what I could gather, that’s me, Koichi, Taichi, Renma, Hana and Hiroko.

 

**JIN:** Unless, of course, there was an accomplice situation… but judging from the fact that only  _ one  _ person gets sent home if they win the trial, I doubt that’s the case.

 

**MAIKU:** [Determined; palm pressed to chest] I have an alibi too, remember?

 

**MAIKU:** Earlier this morning, Miss Minon confirmed that I was “up all night crying”, so surely she can vouch for me! And I can vouch for… um.

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on wrist] Wait, no, actually, I can’t. I was… um. Rather… busy. Crying. So, I uh… I wouldn’t have noticed if she snuck out. Drats.

 

**JIN:** So… you’re saying you have an alibi, but… it’s a weak one? At best? Seeing as Minon could have slipped out at any time and left you there alone.

 

**MAIKU:** Um… yes. 

 

**SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] Well, if it means anything, I can testify on the part of Sir Maiku’s good character. He doesn’t seem the type to kill someone, especially since he was so distraught after the motive reveal. 

 

**SADAMU:** He’s an innocent man, rest assured.

 

**MAIKU:** [Giggling; blushing faintly] Oh, Sir Sadamu… you’re such a reliable friend! 

 

_ Just… what exactly is going on between those two?! _

 

**JIN:** ...Anyway, that still leaves a lot of us without alibis. 

 

**JIN:** It’s narrowed our suspect pool down to a few people… but still too many to make any concrete theories on yet. We should really be focusing on  _ motive  _ now…

 

**ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] What, like, Monokuma’s motive?

 

**JIN:** Well, that could be a part of it, sure… but that shouldn’t be the only thing here. 

 

**JIN:** Although… it would be good to go around and clarify what everyone’s worst memory would be. I mean, Hitomiko’s was obviously… not that big of a deal.

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Cheeky; tongue out] A little lawbreaking never hurt anyone! 

 

**HIROKO:** [Pumped; clenching both fists] Heheh, yeah sis! I’ll drink to that!

 

**JIN:** I’m… not sure that’s the right way to react to that, but su-

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Spitting out tape] Fuck, finally!

 

**ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] Eep! He got free!

 

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] Hey! Put that duct tape back on, or so help me-

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Leaning forward; sadistic smile] Or what? Sorry, princess, but you can’t move from your pillar, can you?

 

**TAKAAKI:** Besides, there’s no open water anywhere I can see. I think our special little detective is  _ just fine.  _

 

**RUKA:** [Dead serious] Takaaki. Quit it. 

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] Oh? Why should I?

 

**TAKAAKI:** The rest of you are doing such a fucking  _ sloppy  _ job here, because you wouldn’t let the  _ most qualified  _ candidate investigate!

 

**ISANA:** [Hand held out in “halt” gesture] You tried to  _ kill  _ someone! Of course we wouldn’t let you investigate!

 

**JIN:** Besides, I’m a detective. I’d say we’re on pretty even footing, Takaaki. 

 

_ Especially considering he admitted he only got in through nepotism... _

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Frantic; wild-eyed] Oh yeah?! Only because he fucking  _ threatened  _ someone last night! You fucking forget that?! I was doing my damn job!

 

**TAKAAKI:** What was I meant to think, huh? That he was innocent?! I mean,  _ now  _ he’s come up with some bullshit alibi, but what was I supposed to think?! What would you have thought?!

 

**KOICHI:** [Hesitant; biting finger] Um… Takaaki? Are you okay?

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Sarcastic; eyes narrowed] Yeah, I’m fucking okay. Can’t you see how okay I am?! 

 

**TAKAAKI:** Oh, no, wait, I’m not okay. Someone fucking died, and you’re acting like you idiots can solve it if you just have enough  _ team spirit!  _

 

**JIN:** Takaaki, I know things are bad, but you need to calm down.

 

**TAKAAKI:** I’ll calm down when you lot find the killer. Or, wait, do I need to do that for you too? 

 

**TAKAAKI:** It’s obvious enough already, if you stop to fucking think for a second. 

 

**JIN:** Alright. If you’re- if you’re so much  _ better  _ than us, who is it?!

 

_ I knew I shouldn’t get mad… but something about Takaaki was just so damn irritating.  _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Jin… Stay calm, okay?

 

**JIN:** I  _ am  _ calm. Just… curious.

 

**TAKAAKI:** Hang the fuck on- one second.

 

_ Takaaki squirmed, and soon enough, the ropes surrounding him feel to the floor. He took a deep inhale, and then slammed his fist against the invisible border surrounding his podium.  _

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Wry smile; resting jaw on fist] ...There we go. 

 

**TAKAAKI:** Alright, assholes. Better listen up- I’m about to blow this case wide open. The killer you’re looking for is...

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Gesturing widely; mocking] The oh-so-esteemed  _ Sadamu Yasuhiro! _

 

**JIN:** …

 

**RUKA:** …

 

**KOTOHIKO:** …

 

**SADAMU:** [Looking to the side] ...Hmmm? I thought this was a court of law, not a comedy club.

 

**JIN:** Takaaki, you… you can’t just blame Sadamu for everything.

 

**MAIKU:** [Determined; palm pressed to chest] Verily! Sir Sadamu is innocent, you curr! I know how you wish to… sully his reputation, but I won’t allow it!

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] This isn’t just baseless conjecture, you fucking idiots. Besides, you know  _ nothing  _ about Yasuhiro, so shut your shit traps, got it?

 

**SADAMU:** I’d wager they know more than you,  _ branleur _ . 

 

**TAKAAKI:** Shut up. I have evidence, you know.

 

**SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] Oh? I wouldn’t have guessed. Believe me, I was under the impression that you only had two brain cells left. Honestly, any indication of a higher thought process inside your skull is a modern-day miracle. 

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Furious; nails biting into palms] You know what would be more of a miracle?! Discovering that you  _ didn’t  _ kill Tokiya! God, you’d think dismembering  _ one  _ human would be enough for you, but you just had to-

 

**SADAMU:** There you go again, with your brain-dead theories. You didn’t have evidence then, because I was  _ innocent,  _ Ishimaru. I am not a killer. It’s that simple. 

 

**TAKAAKI:** Oh yeah? Well, you son of a bi-

 

**JIN:** Can you two stop arguing for  _ once?!  _ Takaaki, spit out the evidence. 

 

**MAIKU:** [Angry; hands slammed down] And it better be good, or I expect an apology towards Sir Sadamu immediately!

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] You really wanna know? Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. This shit is undeniable.

 

* * *

 

**_NON-STOP DEBATE: START!_ **

 

**Truth Bullets: Koichi’s Testimony / Tokiya’s Love Letter / Bloody Scrap of Paper / Rotten Plank From Bridge**

 

* * *

 

**TAKAAKI:** There are four parts to my theory. 

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Holding up one finger] One- I overheard Isana talking to  _ my dearest, best friend  _ Ruka.

 

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] Oh, fuck you! You don’t have to  **act like a bitch** because I stopped you from killing someone!

 

**TAKAAKI:** Betrayal aside, Isana let slip a very important fact. 

 

**ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] I… I  _ did?! _

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Leaning forward; sadistic smile] She said that Sadamu returned back to the cabin an hour or so  _ after  _ the Night-Time Announcement. Kinda  **destroys his alibi** , doesn’t it?

 

**ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] Oh yeahhh… I, like, totally  _ did  _ say that!

 

**SADAMU:** [Shocked; gripping collar] I-Isana!

 

**ISANA:** [Nervous; biting lip] S-sorry! I know you wanted to  **keep it a secret** , but it just slipped out!

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Wry smile; resting jaw on fist] ...Heh. Well, that just proves it further, doesn’t it?

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Holding up two fingers] Point number two- Sadamu is the most  **muscular** member in the class. Sure, I’m built well, but as Monokuma said to me yesterday… Sadamu could  _ easily  _ kill any of us with his bare fists.

 

**TAKAAKI:** Unless Tokiya was caught off guard, someone would need to be pretty damn strong to push him into the fan.

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on wrist] S-so what?!  **Someone can be strong and still gentle** ! Sadamu would never harm anyone!

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Holding up three fingers] Point number three- he was obviously affected by the motive. Admittedly, this is my weakest point, but who gives a shit? What matters is that he reacted  _ violently.  _

 

**SADAMU:** [Tense; teeth clenched] Nghnn…

 

**MINON:** [Absent; sucking on fingers] Mm… he  _ did  _ break his arm… that’s heavy stuff…

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Holding up four fingers] And, point number four- he was roommates with the  **only person** who knew about the secret cave, or even that Tokiya would  _ be  _ there!

 

**TAKAAKI:** Isana found the cave last night, there’s no reason to think she wouldn’t have told Sadamu. 

 

Refute 'only person' with 'Tokiya's Love Note'

 

* * *

 

**JIN:** _ No, that’s wrong! _

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; crossing arms] Oh? Care to enlighten me  _ why  _ I’m fuckin’ wrong, rookie?

 

**JIN:** Well… I can’t say that she knew about the secret cave, but other people  _ definitely  _ knew that Tokiya hung out around the waterfall.

 

**JIN:** Tokiya sent Hitomiko a love letter… telling her to meet him near the waterfall. Apparently, he hung out there every night.

 

**JIN:** I… really don’t mean to single her out here, but she would have known he was there- as would anyone else who happened to see him! I mean, he hung out there  _ every night _ … Isana spotting him there while going exploring wouldn’t be the only way of figuring out that he liked to relax there.

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Disbelieving; jaw slack] … 

 

**ISANA:** [Hand out in a “halt” gesture] Besides! I never even  _ told  _ Sadamu about the waterfall! Because he was out so late, I didn’t get the time to tell him until the murder had already  _ been  _ committed!

 

**SADAMU:** [Looking to the side] And if you  _ really  _ have to know what I was doing… 

 

**SADAMU:** I was talking to Monokuma.

 

**JIN:** Wait,  _ what?! _

 

**SADAMU:** [Defensive; clutching bee pin] It  _ really  _ isn’t as bad as it sounds, trust me!

 

**SADAMU:** As you all know, I… broke my arm last night. But a few minutes later, I found it completely healed… so I wanted to talk to Monokuma about the extensiveness of the nanobots’ healing capabilities, for future reference.

 

**JIN:** Monokuma, is this true?!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Mmmmm… I can’t tell ya! That’d be interfering in the trial!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] I may be generous, but I’m  _ still  _ not giving out handouts!

 

**SADAMU:** I… expected something like this would happen. Monokuma… can you at least confirm facts about the nanobots?

 

**MONOKUMA:** Well… I  _ guess…  _ that doesn’t have anything to do with the trial, so it’s free game!

 

**SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] So… is it correct that the nanobots have a difficult time healing wounds submerged in water?

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; looking at the floor] Every machine has its weakness!

 

**SADAMU:** And they can’t replace blood once it’s already left the system?

 

**MONOKUMA:** ...Every machine has its… several weaknesses…

 

**SADAMU:** And, similarly, they can’t replace limbs that have been detached from the body?

 

**MONOKUMA:** Many, many weaknesses…

 

**SADAMU:** [Smiling warmly] I rest my case. How else would I know so much about the nanobots if Monokuma didn’t tell me?

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Furious; nails biting into palms] I… I fuckin’  _ guess  _ so…

 

**TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] W-wait, can y-you repeat t-that? That’s useful info…

 

**SADAMU:** I’ll tell you the details after the trial.

 

**JIN:** So… your alibi was that you were talking to Monokuma?

 

**SADAMU:** _ Oui.  _ The discussion went on far longer than I anticipated, hence my late return back to the cabin.

 

**SADAMU:** [Smug; smirking] Now, Ishimaru. Do you still think your theory is solid?

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Sweating; biting lip hard] Ngn… I…

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Enraged; eyes burning]  _ Why don’t you listen to the fuckin’ professionals, rookie?! _

 

* * *

 

**_REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN: START!_ **

 

**Truth Blades: Bloody Kitchen Knife / Ruka’s Testimony / Fan’s Switch**

 

* * *

 

**TAKAAKI:** You think you’re so smart huh?! Is that it?!

 

**TAKAAKI:** How do we know Sadamu didn’t ask Monokuma about that  _ before  _ last night! He could have gotten that info at any fuckin’ time!

 

**TAKAAKI:** He still had an opportunity to be the killer! 

 

**_Advance!_ **

 

**JIN:** Why would he have asked about it if it didn’t concern him?

 

**JIN:** Especially seeing as he had to talk to Monokuma. I’m pretty sure none of us would have talked to him unless we absolutely had to.

 

**JIN:** Besides, you’re forgetting that he’d also have to know about the secret cave behind the waterfall.

 

**JIN:** And, as we’ve already covered, Isana didn’t get to tell him. It’s kind of hard to believe that he found it on his own. 

 

**TAKAAKI:** That- that doesn’t fucking matter!

 

**TAKAAKI:** I just- I know it’s him, alright! He was the only one who could have done it! He’s the only one with motive, opportunity, and enough power to do it!

 

**TAKAAKI:** I mean, who else could it be?! The only one close to as strong as him is me, and there’s  **absolutely no way I could have done it!**

 

Ruka's Testimony'

**_CUT!_ **

 

**JIN:** _ I’ll cut right through your claims! _

 

* * *

 

**JIN:** Are you… are you sure there’s no way you could have been the killer?

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] Just what the  _ fuck  _ are you implying?

 

**JIN:** I mean… according to Ruka’s Testimony, she heard something stir after she fell asleep. Seeing as she was sleeping just a few minutes after she returned back to her cabin, it’s reasonable enough to stay that you were the one waking her.

 

**JIN:** It could either be you going outside, or you coming back in… whatever it was, the point stands that you have a… questionable alibi, at best. 

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Enraged; nails biting into palms] Just what the  _ fuck  _ did you tell him, Ruka?

 

**RUKA:** [Tired; sighing] I… I told him the  _ truth,  _ Taka. I don’t think you’re the killer, but… it’s good to cover all the bases.

 

**TAKAAKI:** So you’re saying you betrayed me?! Again?!

 

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] It’s not betrayal if you didn’t do anything wrong! 

 

**RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] You… you didn’t do anything wrong, did you?

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Sweating; biting lip hard] I…

 

**RUKA:** _ Did you?  _

 

**TAKAAKI:** I- I, uh, I- 

 

**HIROKO:** [Laughing; clutching stomach] Gahahahaha! Oh my god, this is funny as shit!

 

**HIROKO:** The- the cop ended up killing Tokiya?! Snnnk, way to be subtle about it! Pinning it on someone else was a shit way of hiding your guilt, shit-for-brains!

 

**TAKAAKI:** _ I didn’t kill anyone. _

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Amused; smirking]  _ Sure  _ you didn’t. For once, I’m inclined to agree with the biker mutt. 

 

**HIROKO:** [Pissed off; middle finger raised] Hey, what did you just call me?!

 

**SHIZUYA:** According to your  _ own  _ deductions, you’re the only one left who would be strong enough to push Tokiya into the fan. On top of that, you don’t have an alibi. And, based off your reaction to last night’s motive… I say you had plenty reason to kill someone. 

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Defeated; bowing head] …

 

**TAKAAKI:** I… I didn’t kill him. I did leave my cabin, but I didn’t kill him.

 

**SADAMU:** [Scowling; hair covering eyes] Why should we believe you?

 

**TAKAAKI:** ...I… 

 

**TAKAAKI:** You’ll just have to trust me.

 

**SADAMU:** That’s not good enough. 

 

**RUKA:** Taka…

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] Don’t you  _ Taka  _ me. You got me into this mess, Ruka.

 

**RUKA:** What was I meant to do?! I didn’t have a choice!   
  


**TAKAAKI:** You could have talked to me about it before you told Kirigiri! I’m- I’m meant to be your best friend!

 

**TAKAAKI:** I would have explained everything!

 

**RUKA:** [Dead serious] Then… just explain it  _ now.  _ Come on, Taka… it can’t be that bad, right?

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Hesitating] I… 

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Defeated; bowing head] It’s not my secret to tell.

 

**RUKA:** [Confused; holding back of neck] Huh?

 

**TAKAAKI:** It involves someone else here… and we promised to keep it a secret between us.

 

**TAKAAKI:** So there’s no way I ca-

 

**TAICHI:** [Determined; gripping podium]  _ H-hold on! _

 

**TAKAAKI:** …?

 

**TAICHI:** [Confident; pushing glasses up] W-what if your… y-your partner gave you… permission to d-divulge the top-secret classified information?

 

**TAICHI:** ...With a few d-details omitted, of course.  

 

_ Wait a second… is Taichi implying what I think he’s implying? _

 

**JIN:** ...Taichi, are  _ you  _ Takaaki’s… “partner”?

 

_ Odd choice, honestly. _

 

**TAICHI:** [Accusing; shakily pointing] I-I can’t tell you that! You might be w-working with the enemy!

 

_ So that’s a yes, then. _

 

**TAICHI:** But…

 

**TAICHI:** [Confident; pushing glasses up] I d-do know  _ who  _ Takaaki’s partner is. Obviously, a-all names and i-important details will be redacted in t-this report, to protect privacy.

 

**TAICHI:** It has c-come to my attention t-that Agent Takaaki is collaborating w-with a mysterious co-partner, A-agent [REDACTED]. These t-two agents collaborated to f-find [REDACTED] in an a-area known as [REDACTED] to the c-common public. 

 

_ Does he have to shout “redacted” every time he wants to hide a detail? _

 

**TAICHI:** T-this search was e-extremely thorough and y-yielded great- I MEAN- unknown results. H-however, it was a lengthy process, as well as an u-unexpectedly  _ destructive  _ one, and s-so… Agent Takaaki h-had to return to his c-cabin quite late, after b-briefing with the other agent. T-time of briefing was 1:04am, b-based on information retrieved from the Monopad device’s clock function.

 

**TAICHI:** S-so that’s what happened.

 

_ What the hell is he talking about… ? _

 

_ I’ll need to think a little more thoroughly about this in order to find the true meaning behind Taichi’s words… and to discover Takaaki’s complete alibi. _

 

* * *

 

**_LOGIC LAUNCH: START!_ **

 

* * *

 

 

_ Question 1: Who was Takaaki’s “partner”? _

 

**Ruka Tamatsuki                              Taichi Fujisaki                              Sadamu Yasuhiro**

 

Taichi Fujisaki

 

* * *

 

_ Question 2: What role did Takaaki play in the partnership? _

 

**Collector of Materials                              Strategist                             Bodyguard**

 

Collector of Materials

 

* * *

 

 

_ Question 3: What area did Takaaki most likely search for materials? _

 

**Waterfall                              Cabins                              Frog Pond**

 

Frog Pond

 

* * *

 

 

**JIN:** _ My deductions are clear!  _

 

**JIN:** Takaaki… you went to the Frog Pond, didn’t you?

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Sweating; biting lip hard] Ngh-!

 

**TAICHI:** [Shocked; tugging on hair] H-h-h-h-how did you-

 

**JIN:** I mean… Taichi, you mentioned that the mission to extract the… er… redacted materials turned out a lot more destructive than you realised.

 

**JIN:** When me and Koichi investigated the Frog Pond… the area was trashed. I mean, the bridge had been completely dismantled, and all the frog statues had been destroyed… even the lily pads had been uprooted! 

 

**JIN:** It’s the only area I can think of that could be described as “destroyed”.

 

**KOICHI:** [Angry; arms crossed] So  _ you’re  _ the vandal! Gosh, I should have known! Assault  _ and  _ destruction of property?! 

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Neutral; arms crossed] So what? It was just a bridge.

 

**TAKAAKI:** Aaaaand everything surrounding the bridge. But it was for a good cause!

 

**JIN:** What cause?

 

**TAKAAKI:** I can’t tell you that, jackass.

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] God, this is going in fucking circles. We get it, he has an alibi. Can we move on?   
  


**JIN:** No, this could be important. 

 

**SHIZUYA:** God! Just quit it, Kirigiri. How in the hell could this  _ ever  _ be relevant? 

 

_ How this might be relevant to the murder? Well, that’s quite easy to say… _

 

**- > Because Takaaki is the murderer**

**- > Because Takaaki might have seen the murderer**

**- > Because the Frog Pond is the real crime scene**

 

Because Takaaki might have seen the murderer.

 

 **JIN:**   _That's got to be it!_

 

**JIN:** If Takaaki was working at the Frog Pond, he might have seen the murderer come by. The waterfall clearing has a shortcut that connects directly to the Frog Pond.

 

**JIN:** I know he might have been distracted, but that’s a definite possibility.

 

**JIN:** At least, if he didn’t see the culprit, he might have seen Tokiya come by. It would give us a better reference of how the events of the murder played out.

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Thinking; clutching cravat] I…  _ suppose  _ that makes sense.

 

**JIN:** Well, what about it, Takaaki? Did you see the culprit?

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Defeated; bowing head] …

 

**TAKAAKI:** ...Well, not exactly.

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Scowling; staring down nose] Oh, good, so it  _ was  _ just one big waste of time! Fantastic!

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] That doesn’t mean I didn’t see anything!

 

**TAKAAKI:** I mean… I was quite obviously distracted at the time, that’s for sure. Tearing apart a bridge with only your hands is tough work. 

 

**KOICHI:** [Saluting] I admire your work ethic, Takaaki!

 

**KOICHI:** [Awkward; half-smiling] Uh… but maybe next time you shouldn’t have destroyed camp property? Especially without telling us first!

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Curious; leaning forward] ...Hey, why do you care so much about him wrecking shit anyway? You’re not the mastermind, are you?

 

**ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] Huh? Mastermind of  _ what _ ? The killing game? 

 

**HIROKO:** [Smirking; eyebrow raised] Pfft, a wimpy shit like Koichi being the mastermind? That’s rich!

 

**ISANA:** [Hand out in “halt” gesture] Besides! Koichi would never be the mastermind! He’s a public defender! 

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] You know, ‘public defender’ means a state-sanctioned lawyer, not a camp counselor. 

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Sudden idea; finger in air] No, guys, really! Koichi’s a camp counselor- or a boy scout, whatever- and guess what? We’re all in a  _ campground.  _ Besides, I was chatting to Kotohiko, and  _ apparently  _ Koichi got a buncha money for his camp from nowhere! 

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Thinking; biting knuckle] Pretty suspicious, if you think about it… 

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] H-hey, don’t drag me into your theory! 

 

**ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] Okay… when you put it like that, it like,  _ kiiiiiiinda _ makes sense. 

 

**KOICHI:** [Panicked; clutching shoulders] Y-you guys! 

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Thinking; clutching cravat] ...Come to think of it, I had a similar theory when I first stepped into this god-forsaken place.

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] My theories are correct once again.

 

**KOICHI:** I-I don’t have anything to do with this! I j-just happen to be in the wrong- I’m not the mastermind! I would never do that to you guys!

 

**KOICHI:** B-besides, aren’t we in a m-murder trial? K-kinda silly to debate t-this when we’re meant to be f-finding a killer. And we- we already know I didn’t do  _ that _ , so…

 

**TAICHI:** [Accusing; shakily pointing] Y-you’re s-stuttering! S-s-s-suspicious people a-always stutter! 

 

**KOICHI:** [Annoyed; crossed arms] Oh, like  _ you  _ can talk! 

 

**JIN:** Koichi’s right! We’re getting side-tracked here. 

 

**JIN:** We need to find the killer first, and  _ then  _ we can focus on other theories. It’s no use knowing who the mastermind is if we all die before we get to do anything about it.

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Pointing at eyes with two fingers] Fine, but I’m watching you! Like a hawk!

 

**HITOMIKO:** And us photographers have good eyes, so you better not think you can slip past me!

 

**HIROKO:** [Enraged; raising fist] And if you think you can try any funny business and kill Hitomiko, I’ll kill you my fuckin’ self!   
  


**KOICHI:** [Panicked; clutching shoulders] O-of course I wouldn’t d-do anything like that!

 

**KOICHI:** Hitomiko i-is my  _ classmate,  _ w-what kind of a  _ monster  _ would I have to be to  _ kill  _ her?!

 

**KOICHI:** [Awkward; half-smiling] ...No offense to the killer in here.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest] Why “no offense”?!  _ They killed someone! _

 

**KOICHI:** I-I just don’t like being rude!   


 

**JIN:** Could have fooled me.

 

**KOICHI:** [Flustered; eyes squeezed shut] I thought that was playful banter! 

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Annoyed; one hand on hip] ... _ Playful banter _ ?! Jin-

 

**JIN:** I’ll talk to you about it after the trial.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Jealous; mumbling under breath] ...Wouldn’t be surprised if he  _ was  _ the mastermind…

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] Can you three quit it with your relationship drama for  _ two fucking minutes  _ so I can testify?

 

**KOICHI:** [Apologetic; hiding eyes with hat] ...Sorry, Takaaki.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** … 

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Neutral; arms crossed]  _ Thank you.  _

 

**TAKAAKI:** As I was fucking  _ saying,  _ I was busy that night. Distracted. I didn’t see much.

 

**TAKAAKI:** But I did  _ hear  _ something. I was working tearing the bridge apart when I heard some rustling near the entrance to the forest. I didn’t think much of it, but… obviously that had to be the killer. 

 

**JIN:** What makes you think that?

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] Who the fuck else could it have been? They were prolly trying to get back to the campsite as soon as possible. 

 

**ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] That’s a good theory, buuut… there’s another way to get back to the campsite!

 

**ISANA:** It’s a bit trickier, but it offers more cover… so, like, if someone was snooping around near the built-up areas, they wouldn’t have seen you. You’d know it, ‘Aki, I showed it to you today!

 

**HIROKO:** [Smirking; eyebrow raised] And Isana’s constant convenience never stops. What, you tellin’ me you happened to know the cave where the body was discovered,  _ and  _ an easier way to get back to camp?

 

**HIROKO:** Oh, and no alibi too. That’s the real kicker.

 

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] Do you have to be so rude all the damn time?!

 

**HIROKO:** It’s in the job description, princess.

 

**ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] Th- I wouldn’t kill anyone! B-besides, like I said, if I wanted to get away fast  _ and  _ stealthily I would have moved using the forest route… 

 

**HIROKO:** [Heckling] Where’s your evidence, babe? This  _ is  _ a murder trial, after all! How do we know the killer  _ didn’t  _ use the forest route? Besides Takaaki’s half-baked testimony, of course.

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] Oh, fuck off.

 

**ISANA:** I- uh-

 

_ She seems to be floundering… I can’t believe I’m going to have to come in and save her like this, but it only seems like the right thing to do. Besides, I’m pretty confident I have something that could prove Hiroko wrong. _

* * *

 

**_PRESENT EVIDENCE!_ **

 

Rotten Plank From Bridge

 

* * *

 

 

**JIN:** _ Take that! _

 

**JIN:** When I investigated the waterfall this morning, I noticed some planks were missing from the bridge- and the rest of them seemed far weaker than normal. 

 

**JIN:** But the bridge hadn't been broken recently… the current had enough time to carry them downstream once they had broken off. 

 

**JIN:** I'd say they came from you lot rushing over, but I noticed a few more planks missing the first time I crossed the bridge, in order to go meetup with Isana and Takaaki.

 

**TAKAAKI:** You can hardly call it a  _ meetup  _ if you weren't  _ invited.  _

 

**JIN:** Terminology aside, I'd like to propose a theory: the killer broke a few planks while running away from the crime scene. 

 

**JIN:** Taking the path in the forest, as Isana described, would render using the bridge useless. 

 

**JIN:** Either the killer didn't know about the path, or they weren't thinking straight at the time. Based on the fact that they'd just committed murder, that's a… reasonable headspace to be in. 

 

 **RENMA:** [Smirking; arms crossed] Feh. Only if they're amateurs. 

 

**JIN:** Uh… right. 

 

 **ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] So… this, like, clears my name, right?

 

**ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips]  Yaaaaaay, I'm totes innocent!

 

**JIN:** I never said that. It’s too early to rule you out as a culprit. 

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Confused; head cocked]  So, what, have we just hit a roadblock in the case?

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing]  Takaaki’s testimony proves nothing, there's no other witnesses, and we still don't know the killer’s motive!

 

**HITOMIKO:** I mean, please! Who would kill over a few measly memories, amirite?

 

**TAKAAKI:** …

 

**SADAMU:** …

 

**JIN:** …

 

**HIROKO:** …

 

**RUKA:** ...

 

**TAICHI:** [Shocked; tugging on hair] ...A-are you really g-gonna just st-stand there and s-say that?!

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Conflicted; wincing] I mean, I know mine were… not  _ that  _ bad, but the past is still the past!

 

_ The whole trial room remained silent at Hitomiko’s words. None of us wanted to admit that we  _ **_couldn’t_ ** _ let the past go… and that one of us had, most likely, killed because of it. _

 

**HITOMIKO:** ...Really, you guys? None of you can let that shit go?

 

**ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] I mean… like, I guess I can see your point! Um… just for me, though…

 

**ISANA:** [Morose; tugging on one ponytail] ...My worst memory was that I let… I let a kid drown. I could have saved him, but I was too distracted… and…

 

**ISANA:** …

 

**JIN:** ...Isana…

 

_ It must have been really hard for her, earlier this morning… being unable to help while Takaaki drowned me. She must have thought that she'd lost someone again.  _

 

**TAKAAAKI:** [Apologetic; tentatively holding up hand] ...I-

 

**ISANA:** [Determined; holding one fist up] But I wouldn't kill over that, and if Monokuma thinks I would, he has it all wrong! If anything, I'd only devote myself to the further protection of life!

 

**ISANA:** [Hand out in “halt” gesture] You hear that! Your psychological gamble has backfired, you stupid freakin’ bear! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Snoring; snot bubble coming out of nose] Snnnnzzzz…

 

**ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] He's… sleeping?! Aw, c’mon! He missed my big speech!

 

**MINON:** [Yawning; hand covering mouth] Mmm… I never thought I'd say this, but I agree with Monokuma… this is such a snoozefest…

 

**MINON:** ...Wake me up when you find the killer… ‘mmkay…?

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on wrist] ...Can you at least  _ try  _ to take this a bit more seriously, Miss Minon?

 

**MINON:** [Sarcastic; eyebrow raised] What… was that…? I don't… listen to annoying crybabies…

 

**MAIKU:** [Offended; pointing] Wh-hey!

 

**SADAMU:** [Deadpan stare] Yoshihama. You can’t just act like that whenever you’re put in a tight spot like this.

 

**SADAMU:** Taking things out on your classmates is no way to behave in a stressful situation.

 

**MINON:** It’s not… like it’s not the truth…

 

**MINON:** ...Besides… we’re all gonna die… anyway… 

 

**MAIKU:** You don’t know that!

 

**MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] Mm… and do you know what… you don’t know…?

 

**MINON:** Who the killer is.

 

**MINON:** [Eyes swimming; arms held out] So you can all act like you’re actually making a difference, but when the time comes to vote… I’ll let my luck guard me.

 

**MAIKU:** [Horrified; jaw agape] Y-you’ve- you’ve completely- completely changed personalities! 

 

**MINON:** I haven’t changed anything. You should have never underestimated me. Hell, even if you all vote wrong and doom us all to execution, I’ll still survive. All I have to do is use my luck.

 

**SADAMU:** [Scowling; hair covering eyes] Ah… I finally see what kind of person you are.

 

**SADAMU:** That line of thinking won’t keep you alive forever,  _ mademoiselle.  _ One day you will die, just like the rest of us. Do not think yourself to arrogant as to be above the course of fate.

 

**SADAMU:** Your mortality is not under any less threat than the rest of us, just because of something as intangible as  _ luck.  _

 

**MINON:** ...

 

**JIN:** ...Well, that’s certainly… intense.

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] That’s… one way to put it.

 

**MAIKU:** [Stunned; wide-eyed] Woah…

 

**MAIKU:** [Giggling; blushing faintly] Sir Sadamu, you’re so- so  _ cool!  _

 

**MINON:** [Disturbed; nibbling on fingers] Cool?! He just… told me I was going to die…!

 

**MAIKU:** [Swooning; hand pressed to forehead] Yes, but… that was so eloquent! It felt like Sir Sadamu was preaching pure poetry!

 

**MAIKU:** [Embarrassed; covering mouth] Ah, look at me! I’m so impressed I’ve started alliterating!  

 

_ Okay, this was just getting frustrating. The trial wasn’t going anywhere- everyone kept spouting off random tangents instead of focusing. And I knew I was partly to blame, too- I just couldn’t keep it together enough to figure it out quickly. If Monokuma was sleeping, he was obviously getting bored… and that didn’t look good for us. _

 

_ I slammed my hands on the podium, forcing everyone’s attention back onto me. _

 

**JIN:** Everyone, listen. We can’t keep doing this!

 

**JIN:** None of you- none of  _ us  _ are focusing. If we’re going to find the culprit, we need to stop going off on tangents. Minon, I don’t  _ care  _ that your luck will save you in whatever hypothetical doomsday situation you think of. 

 

**JIN:** Hiroko, you can’t just say everyone’s suspicious because you’re pissed that one of us suspected you. Accusing everyone who breathes isn’t a good strategy at  _ all.  _ Hitomiko, same goes for you.

 

**JIN:** We need to review the evidence, sort out everyone’s testimonies and possible motives, and build a timeline of events- and we can’t do that if we keep rambling on about pointless bullshit!

 

_ The trial room was silent, as the rest of the class looked guiltily among themselves. It seemed that they’d finally grasped the reality of the situation- despite all their jokes, their banter, and their threats… this really was a life or death moment. This trial had so much more at stake than simply catching a killer.  _

 

**RUKA:** [Thinking; fingers touching bottom lip] That was an…  _ inspiring  _ speech, Jin. I applaud you. 

 

**RUKA:** But before we do begin to delve deeper into the mystery… there’s something I have to say. Isana reminded me, and, well… I can’t sit on this  **theory** any longer!   
  


_ Theory…? _

 

_ Oh, yeah. I promised to let Ruka tell her theory in the trial. Shit, if I had known it would be this difficult to stay on track, I probably wouldn’t… but I can’t go back on my word. Especially since she seems to fired up about it. _

 

**JIN:** ...Fine.

 

**RUKA:** [Conspiratorial wink] Great! Jin, if you may…

* * *

 

 

**_PRESENT EVIDENCE!_ **

 

Photograph of Takaaki and Taichi

 

* * *

 

 

**JIN:** _ Take that! _

 

**JIN:** Here’s the evidence Ruka wants you guys to look at- the backbone of her theory.

 

_ God, I hope it’s the backbone of her theory, or else I’m going to look like an idiot. _

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] It’s… just the photo of me and Taichi.

 

**TAICHI:** [Shocked; tugging on hair] W-Where d-did you even g-g-get that?!

 

**RUKA:** [Noncommittal; shrugging] Eh, I asked Monokuma to print it off for me.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] Toldja I was a generous guy!

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Confused; head cocked] Huh? He’s awake?

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Of  _ course  _ I’m awake! I only fall asleep for comedic effect!

 

**RUKA:** ...Anyway.

 

**RUKA:** [Holding up photograph] Like Jin said, my theory rests on this photograph, and the fact that I have reason to suspect that, well… 

 

**RUKA:** The people in this picture  _ aren’t  _ Takaaki and Taichi.

 

**JIN:** Wait, what?!   


 

**MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; staring at floor] You wanted that picture… just to make everyone doubt me…?

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing up arms] I should  _ never  _ have given you that! This is what I get for trying to be nice!

 

**JIN:** But, wait, if that photo isn’t genuine… that was the only piece of proof we had that we missed a year of Hope’s Peak!

 

**TAICHI:** [Muttering darkly] A-and it’s the only r-reason I would e-ever  _ think  _ to t-team up with a c-cop…   
  


**RUKA:** [Dead serious] Exactly. Which means…

 

**JIN:** ...That the motive is fake. Ruka, are you sure about this? I mean, I know you lost your-

 

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] I’m sure!

 

**RUKA:** The picture may hold up if you look at it for a few seconds, but it falls apart if you try to examine it. It’s a fuckin’ fake!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] Now  _ hold on a second! _

 

**MONOKUMA:** I am a  _ very  _ honest bear. I don’t tell lies! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** And you’re accusing me of  _ faking  _ my special motive?! Not so fast, missie!

 

_ For once, I’m inclined to agree with Monokuma... _

 

**JIN:** Ruka, what’s so bad about the photo? It looks real to me- I mean, if Monokuma was using models, it’d be pretty hard to find some that look exactly like Taichi and Takaaki…

 

**RUKA:** [Dead serious] But they  _ don’t  _ look exactly the same. That’s the problem. 

 

**RUKA:** If you look at the models in the photo, and I mean  _ really  _ look at them, it just doesn’t add up. It’s hard to tell because it’s only bust-up, but Taichi is  _ clearly…  _ uh… how do I put this nicely...  _ heavier  _ than the model.

 

**TAICHI:** [Annoyed; gripping arm] J-just say  _ fat.  _ I r-really don’t c-care.

 

**RUKA:** [Awkward; wincing] ...Right. He’s more fat than the model.

 

**ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] But, like… you can lose fat, ‘specially after a year’s worth of training! 

 

**RUKA:** Yeah, but… fluctuating weight like that is hard. Especially since it’s such a drastic change… you can tell by the jawline that it’s gotta be a pretty major drop in weight… I’m thinking around fifty pounds? Maybe?

 

**TAICHI:** [Disappointed; sweating] Ugh… th-that means I had to e-exercise…

 

**RUKA:** Well… evidently you  _ stopped  _ exercising, because you put on your weight again. 

 

**JIN:** That’s assuming Taichi wasn’t skinny to begin with.

 

**TAICHI:** [Confident; pushing glasses up] Hmph, a-as if I wouldn’t n-notice such a d-drastic change in w-weight! I’m more o-observant than you’ve e-estimated, Kirigiri!

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] Besides… I’ve, er,  _ researched  _ a little bit about Taichi before this. From what little public appearances he  _ has  _ made, he’s pretty much stayed around this weight, consistent in the weeks leading up to this school year, at least.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Shocked; eyebrows raised] Holy crap, Ruka! I think you’re really onto something!

 

**RUKA:** [Confident; hands on hips] That’s not all! You can  _ also  _ tell that Taichi is just a  _ little  _ bit taller in the photo- obviously we would have grown over the school year, but it’s even  _ harder  _ to get rid of height than it is to put on weight so quickly!

 

**RUKA:** I know this is, like, some government facility and all… but that’s totally fuckin’ dodgy! Not to mention the fact that “Taichi” isn’t wearing glasses in the photo.

 

**TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] I d-don’t trust c-contacts, so there’s n-no way I’d wear them… 

 

**RUKA:** There are differences with Takaaki too, but nothing really major. I mean, the facial structure is a bit different, and the hairline is further down his forehead, but those are easy to miss…

 

**RUKA:** ...Except if you happen to be an extremely close friend of his, and could pick him out from a herd of clones  _ extremely  _ easily.

 

**TAKAAKI:** …

 

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] I believe  _ somebody  _ owes me a fuckin’ apology.

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Defeated bowing head] ...I’m sorry.

 

**RUKA:** [Smiling daintily; curtseying]  _ Thank you.  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] Well, that would have certainly been a  _ very  _ interesting theory…

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] If it wasn’t completely  _ wrong!  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** Do you think I take these killing games lightly?! Of course I don’t, making these is my very  _ purpose! _ I wouldn’t lie about a motive, I don’t  _ do  _ that!

 

**JIN:** ...I don’t know. Ruka’s case is pretty solid, and-

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] Ooooooh, I see. You’re going to trust someone just because she made a few  _ simple  _ observations about the photos. My mistake, Jin, I must have mistaken you for someone  _ intelligent.  _

 

**JIN:** Nghn-

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] You want to know the secret behind it all? Fine! Plastic surgery!

 

**MONOKUMA:** If I have the power to shoot you schmucks into space and mess with your squishy little brains, you bet your asses I have enough power to do a little reverse-liposuction!

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Face wrinkled in disgust] Eugh, that mental image is… ewwww!

 

_ Monokuma’s explanation makes sense… but that would also mean all my memories are real. If Ruka’s right, then I… I wasn’t as worthless as I thought I was. I didn’t get kicked out, I didn’t let someone die, I didn’t get crushed by my failures. The hope of things not being real… the hope of a home to go back to…  _

 

_ I couldn’t let that disappear. _

 

**JIN:** I can’t believe you. I won’t let myself believe you.

 

**JIN:** Ruka, if this is what you think… then I trust you. I’ll put my faith in  _ you,  _ not in Monokuma.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing up arms] Stop being so ooey-gooey or I’ll rip you to shreds! I can’t stand you kids and your obsession with stupid rotten old  _ hope… _

 

**MONOKUMA:** You’re going to have to face the truth, one way or another!

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing] And isn’t it just a  _ little  _ hypocritical that you’re believing  _ Ruka’s  _ crackpot theory, but not mine?!

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Proud; hands on hips] It’s not a crackpot theory! I believe in you guys, and I especially believe in Jin’s judgement! 

 

**KOTOHIKO:** I mean, don’t you  _ want  _ the motive to be fake?

 

**SADAMU:** [Disappointed; tugging on lock of hair] As much as I want to believe them… something tells me that we shouldn’t keep looking towards false hope.

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on wrist] Besides, if the theory is true… that means I cried last night for  _ nothing!  _

 

**HANA:** [Thinking; resting chin on fingers] But what y’alls been sayin’ ‘bout the weight issue adds up…  _ especially  _ if I’ve been cookin’ some delicious homemade meals for Taichi all year long! He’d just get  _ bigger!  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Ooooh… is that some civil unrest, I detect?

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; covering paws with mouth] Upupupu!~ I have  _ just  _ the treat for you sons-of-bitches. 

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Holding up keycard] Behold! The  _ beary  _ amazing powers of this trial room!

 

_ A monitor popped up in front of Monokuma, seemingly from nowhere, and Monokuma swiped the keycard down onto it. A loud “BEEP” rang out through the area, and all of a sudden, our podiums began to rise up into the air. _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Frightened; clutching chest] Eep! 

 

_ I nearly fell backwards off of my podium, but the nanobots stopped me right before I tipped over the edge. I gripped tightly onto the front of the podium, until it neatly slotted itself in beside a few other members of the cast. I found myself face-to-face with Sadamu, who had moved into an opposing line to mine. _

 

**JIN:** ...What the hell  _ is  _ this?!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Smiling; holding belly] Ta-da! It’s my ultra amazing Scrum Debate setup! Two teams are pitted against each other, fighting bitterly for their side of the debate! You win the argument when you convince all members of the other side to back down!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Otherwise, you’ll be trapped up there ‘til the trial ends! Have fun! Puhuhuhu!~

 

_ A Scrum Debate, huh…? Certainly nothing I’d seen before, but neither was  _ **_anything_ ** _ in this nightmare. But I knew there was only one way I was coming down… _

 

_ When I’d convinced everyone to reject the lies fed to them by Monokuma. _

* * *

 

**_SCRUM DEBATE: START!_ **

 

* * *

 

 

**The Motive is Fake: Jin, Hana, Renma, Taichi, Ruka, Kotohiko, Takaaki, Koichi**

**The Motive is Real: Hitomiko, Hiroko, Maiku, Isana, Sadamu, Shizuya, Minon**

 

* * *

 

  
  


**HITOMIKO:** Why would you trust in Ruka’s theory, when you couldn’t even trust in mine?! Hers doesn’t even make sense!

 

**RUKA:** Because my theory actually pertains to the case, obviously! Plus, I have  _ plenty  _ of evidence- more than just your hunch!

 

**SHIZUYA:** Evidence?! Please. Like Monokuma said, if he has the power to land us here, he has the power to alter things so that we look like our former selves. It’s not that hard, really- have you  _ seen  _ what celebrities have done to themselves?!

 

**KOTOHIKO:** Celebrity gossip aside, how do we know that Monokuma’s even telling the truth about where we are?! If he’s lying about the motive, he could be lying about a bunch of things… Besides, that type of surgery has a resting period! You can’t just lose a few inches in height and walk around the next day!

 

**MINON:** But how much more unlikely is it to find clones that look exactly like us…? Even if the surgeries have a recovery time… which I know well enough that they do… it’s easier to believe he could have just left us in a coma while we recovered…

 

**JIN:** If we were in a coma, our muscles would have atrophied, and we’d have to relearn a lot of basic functions. I know I’m not the… best example of health, but people like Sadamu would look drastically different!

 

**ISANA:** Well, what if Monokuma just used the nanobots to heal us up?! Then we wouldn’t have to  _ be  _ in a coma- or, at least, not for long!

 

**RENMA:** Hah! Such feeble…  _ electronics  _ could never alter my body! My power level would have destroyed them instantly, like mere  _ insects!  _ Besides… if a year had passed,  _ surely  _ my body would mark the scars of my rituals. Annually, I remove one of my teeth… and I don’t even need to use my  _ third eye _ to see that all forty one of them are still intact!

 

**MAIKU:** Forty one teeth…? That’s got to be abnormal! Besides, if the motive is fake, that means our memories are fake too! I don’t know about you, but I remember every second of my heartbreak… you can’t replicate memories like that! I know that they’re true, even if they’re painful!

 

**TAICHI:** M-Monokuma said that h-he has the technology t-to bring back memories, r-right?! T-then he  _ clearly  _ h-has the technology to b-bring back fake ones too! R-replicating memories w-would be a piece of c-cake! 

 

**SADAMU:** Fighting back against the truth isn’t going to get us anywhere. I don’t want to believe that one of us killed for nothing… Tokiya would have died for no reason if our memories had been fabricated. We owe it to his memory to believe in the motive, if only to find some meaning behind his murder. 

 

**TAKAAKI:** We don’t owe  _ anything  _ to Tokiya. The memories are fuckin’ fake- you think that Monokuma’s above lying to use to get us to kill?! We don’t know anything about him! And even if the motive was fake… the murder still wouldn’t be meaningful, you fucking heartless bastard.

 

**HIROKO:** So what?! We're just expected to believe princess over there because she found  _ one  _ hole in Monokuma’s logic?! That doesn't mean everything's all fine and fucking dandy. This is just bullshit.

 

**KOICHI:** She hasn't just found one hole, she's found  _ several!  _ And Monokuma won't give us any other evidence… which leads me to believe that he doesn't  _ have  _ any! Ignoring the evidence right in front of us is just an easy way to get us all killed. We’re not the ones believing in a baseless lie- you guys are!

 

**JIN:** _ This is our answer! _

* * *

 

**_BREAK!!!_ **

 

* * *

 

 

**JIN:** The motive has clearly been faked. If Monokuma really wiped a whole  _ year’s  _ worth of memories, and gone to such extensive ways to alter our bodies so that we looked like our 17-year-old selves… then why would he immediately tell us that our memories would be wiped? Surely, he would have looked more credible if we looked a year older…

 

**JIN:** Furthermore, the subtle differences in  _ Takaaki’s  _ model are still unexplained. Looking back at the photo… the jawline is different. So’s the hairline. It’s a good match, but you can do a lot with makeup these days. Making a model that was roughly the same height and weight look like Takaaki wouldn’t be too impossible… same goes with Taichi, although I guess that fat is harder to replicate.

 

**JIN:** I mean, these guys could even be  _ relatives-  _ it would certainly explain the resemblance. Do either of you have any cousins?

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Neutral; arms crossed] …Not that I know of, but my family isn’t really the type for frequent reunions.

 

**TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] I-I was r-raised by a single p-parental guardian. I-I haven’t m-met the rest of my family.

 

**JIN:** Okay, maybe that was a bit of a stretch, but still. I think it’s pretty clear that the people in this photo  _ aren’t  _ Takaaki and Taichi.

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Thinking; biting knuckle] …Fine. I mean, there’s photo editing to consider as well, but… you make a pretty good point!

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Curious; leaning forward] Actually… can I have a look at that photo?

 

**JIN:** Well I can’t exactly  _ pass  _ it to you… but here.

 

_ I held up the photo, and Hitomiko squinted at it, trying to focus. _

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Concentrating; squinting] Hmmm… I can’t really tell exactly, but this looks like the same type of camera that took the photo in the field! Highly advanced, likely digital… which is a pretty cutting-edge market right now!

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Thinking; biting knuckle] In fact… this is pretty advanced even for one of the high-end models! But I bet the  _ government  _ would have cameras like this…

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Excited; flapping hands] Yo, Monokuma! When we get out of this trial… can I have one of your cameras? Pretty please!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] No, you can’t! You traitor! You were supposed to agree with  _ me! _

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Thinking; biting knuckle] Um… I wasn’t agreeing with you in the first place… I just thought Ruka’s theory was dumb. So I guess I sided with you, but I didn’t agree with you?

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Cheeky; tongue out] Yeah, that’s it. Sorry, Monokuma! But I kind of, um… really hate you!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; staring at floor] So blunt…

 

**JIN:** …Well, do you agree with us now?

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Gentle smile; showing dimples] Obviously!

 

**HITOMIKO:** Oh, wait, I have to push that weird-looking button on the screen, right? Boop!

 

_ Hitomiko slammed her finger down on the monitor in front of her and, one by one, the rest of the opposing team did the same. Hiroko was the last to press it, and she looked very reluctant to do so. Slowly, the podiums moved back into their initial positions, falling back into their circular orientation. _

 

**JIN:** So… now that we’re down here… I guess we’re ready to move on.

 

 **HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] H-hold on now, honey!

 

**HANA:** I know I was agreein’ with y’all durin’ that lil’ debate… but I still need a bit’a time ta process things… ‘bout the motive bein’ fake and all.

 

**JIN:** …Can that wait?

 

**HANA:** [Biting lip; sweating profusely] Not really... I can’t just up an’ tell my emotions ta stop goin’ wild, can I?

 

**MINON:** [Absent; sucking on fingers] Meh… suppressing emotions is easy… you’re just too lazy to try…

 

**RENMA:** [Annoyed; arms crossed] Cease your blathering, you slothful  _ worm.  _ The Dark Lady needs to control her emotions, or else a tumulus curse will be enacted on all you mortals!

 

**RENMA:** I myself am… conflicted about this discovery. I knew I shouldn’t have laid my trust in Monokuma’s infernal contraption… the inner workings of a goddess are not that easily disturbed!

 

**JIN:** I understand that you guys have to work through things, but maybe we can just put it on hold until after the trial? We still have a lot of mysteries to work out… I mean, we don’t know practically  _ anything  _ about the actual murder.

 

**JIN:** All we’ve done so far is clarify testimonies and figure out what the  _ hell  _ was going on with the Frog Pond.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] But isn’t the murder kind of… self-explanatory? I mean, the killer just pushed Tokiya into the fan!

 

**JIN:** Yeah, but… some things still don’t add up.

 

**JIN:** For one, why was the grate removed? And why does the switch to turn the fan on look like a  _ rock? _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] So it won’t ugly up the area, duuuuuhhhh!

 

**JIN:** …You expect me to believe you when you’ve already lied about the motive?!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Pissed; neutral position] Nghnn- okay! You want to know the  _ real  _ truth about the motive?! Fine!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] You bastards weren’t doing  _ anything  _ right…and by that, I mean there was no blood! No guts! No gore! You’re all unmotivated little pigs!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Coincidentally, around that time, I got given a  _ very  _ special machine. And seeing as you lot are  _ already  _ lab rats… the gang back at HQ needed me to test it out!

 

**MONOKUMA:** _ Apparently,  _ it’s meant to be the beta version of a machine that can make new memories to replace traumatic ones… so of course, I had to use it for its  _ unintended  _ purpose! Things wouldn’t be  _ fun  _ if I gave you all happy-schmappy memories, would it?!

 

**JIN:** So… the entire reason you lied about the machine was because you wanted to use us as  _ test subjects?! _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] Correction, buckaroo! I’m  _ already  _ using you lot as test experiments!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Project Despair… a classified operation that takes symbols of hope and pushes them until they snap into itty-bitty pieces- either metaphorically or literally, take your pick!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Blushing; sweat dripping down face] Ahhh… it was like I was made for this project- oh wait, I was! Upupupu!

 

**ISANA:** [Hand out in “halt” position] But- no way! Our families wouldn’t agree to this!  _ Hope’s Peak  _ wouldn’t agree to this!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] Wrong!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] Your parents agreed to it when they signed all the documentation back at your  _ beloved  _ little high school! Hope’s Peak Academy is now, technically, a surrogate guardian for you little shits!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] And, as for them not agreeing to this… they came up with the idea! Of  _ course  _ they agree to this!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] You know, typically all of this mumbo-jumbo would be explained  _ much  _ later on in the project… a ragtag group of survivors fighting for the truth, uncovering the secrets of Project Despair along the way… But! Since you’re so  _ curious,  _ you can know it now!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] I’ve always liked to be a little unconventional, puhuhu…

 

**JIN:** But… Fuhito would have noticed if the entrance contract had signed me over to a third party. He… he notices those things.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Awww, really? Well… I guess he just wanted to get rid of you, then! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** Honestly, I don’t blame him!

 

**JIN:** …

 

_ Would… would Fuhito really do that…? Did I mean that  _ **_little_ ** _ to him?! _

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Angered; pointing] Shut up! Besides, I don’t even  _ have  _ any parents! Who the hell signed  _ my  _ contract, then?!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] ...You.

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] O-oh. Yeah. Fuck. 

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Scowling; looking down nose] How stupid do you even have to  _ be  _ to do something like that?!

 

**KOTOHIKO:** [Angered; pointing] It’s not  _ my  _ fault I never read the fine print! It’s just… really boring!

 

**SHIZUYA:** Hmph. Honestly, you lot bore me more than any paperwork I could fathom… fuck my stupid whore of a mother.

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] If  _ I  _ had read through the contracts instead of her, I would never have  _ been  _ in this mess!

 

**SADAMU:** [Disappointed; tugging on hair] But you  _ didn’t _ … so it’s no point talking about it now.

 

**SADAMU:** [Looking to the side] Besides, we’ve gotten sidetracked enough…  _ mon dieu _ , it must be an half an hour since Jin decided we should stay on track.

 

**RUKA:** [Guilty; pressing fist to mouth] Sorry… retrospectively, I could have probably left my theory until after the trial.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] Or, better yet, never have said it at all!

 

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] Oi! The truth needed to be fuckin’ told, you monochromatic piece of shit!

 

**RUKA:** [Regaining composure] I mean… it seemed important at the time, and at least we have more context to our abduction now.

 

**RUKA:** Actually… I have another theory.

 

**MINON:** [Yawning; hand over mouth] Great… wake me up when  _ this  _ one ends…

 

**RUKA:** [Dead serious] This one’s actually about the  _ murder _ , this time.

 

**JIN:** I mean… as long is it’s on topic… tell us.

 

**RUKA:** Well… I was thinking back to something that was brought up earlier. Tokiya’s love letter, remember?

 

**RUKA:** I never received one of those. And I’d bet that the rest of the girls didn’t, either.

 

**HIROKO:** [Pissed off; middle finger raised] If he gave one to me, I woulda lopped his balls clean off!

 

**HANA:** [Disgusted; hand over mouth] Ugh… no  _ offense  _ to Tokiya, but I am really darn pleased that he didn’t… I mean, I think he thought I was a lil’ ugly, which is understandable, but-

 

**RENMA:** [Fringe flying up; eyes glowing red] Dark Mistress! Do not demean yourself in such a manner! Your radiant beauty can corrupt even the most untempted of humans… which is simply why you have not raised it to its full power level yet. 

 

**RENMA:** [Annoyed; arms crossed] And, no. The twisted mortal did not attempt to court me. If he had, I would have sacrificed him in my weekly ritual.

 

**ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] Um, I might have got a letter? I didn’t see one, but like, I lose mail all the time!

 

**SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] I can confirm that no letters were delivered to our cabin. Where are you going with this, Ruka?

 

**RUKA:** [Thinking; fingers touching bottom lip] I’m just going to assume that Shizuya or Minon didn’t receive letters either… 

 

**JIN:** How come?

 

**RUKA:** Well, Tokiya  _ lived  _ with Shizuya. There’d no real point to sending her a letter. And… I think he hated Minon?

 

**MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] ...Good.

 

**RUKA:** So… that leaves only one person who  _ did  _ get a letter. Who would have known, without a doubt, where Tokiya was at the night of the crime.

 

**RUKA:** Someone who would have obvious motive to kill, unrelated to the motive. Someone who was specifically targeted, romantically, by the victim… and was clearly disgusted by said advances.

 

**RUKA:** Someone who’s been shown to like exploring, and would have probably cased out the waterfall and found the cave.

 

**RUKA:** Someone who has studied enough crime scenes to be able to hide evidence well, and send us all on several wild goose chases.

 

**RUKA:** Someone who takes every possible moment to draw out the case longer, to accuse random people of being the mastermind just to deflect suspicion off of herself.

 

**RUKA:** Someone who, to our knowledge, hasn’t even  _ mentioned  _ a possible alibi yet.

 

**RUKA:** [Accusing; leaning forward] What do you have to say for yourself…  **_Hitomiko Inazuma?!_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's an updated poll for you to vote on the killer, now that we're mid-trial (and yes, this is mid-trial, there's still another part!): http://www.strawpoll.me/14970452


	8. CHAPTER ONE: "A Forest of Lost Souls" [PART FIVE]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final part of the trial is upon us! Just a warning: this includes the execution, which is quite gorey! If you're squeamish, I would advise skipping it once you get to it!!
> 
> Here's the evidence list:
> 
> #01 - Ventilation Fan  
> A sharp, four-bladed fan that's around the same height as an average teenager. Monokuma used this to ventilate the area. The murder weapon.
> 
> #02 - Dismembered Limbs  
> Tokiya's dismembered limbs, cut off presumably by the fan. Three of them were severed- both of his arms, and one of his legs.
> 
> #03 - Fan’s Safety Grate  
> A large metal grate that was hidden behind a pile of rocks. It's plastered in warning signs, and is missing four of its screws. 
> 
> #04 - Hitomiko’s Photographs  
> Several photographs of the crime scene, from different angles. In one of them, there's a visible bloodless patch over a strange-looking rock.
> 
> #05 - Shizuya’s Testimony  
> According to Shizuya, Tokiya was out late last night and never returned back to the cabin. She can't remember the time he left.
> 
> #06 - Bloody Scrap of Paper  
> A ripped piece of paper that was found in Tokiya's hand. Any text that would have been on it was made illegible by the blood. 
> 
> #07 - Fan’s Switch  
> A strange-looking rock that stuck up from the ground. When you press down on it, it stops the fan.
> 
> #08 - Bloody Kitchen Knife  
> A knife hidden in the large pile of rocks. It's covered in old, brown blood.
> 
> #09 - Renma’s Testimony  
> According to Renma, Taichi did not leave their cabin during the time of the murder, and insisted that Renma stay in the cabin as well. Interestingly enough, Renma also stated that she threw her Monopad away. 
> 
> #10 - Hana’s Testimony  
> According to Hana, Hiroko did not leave their cabin during the time of the murder, and is reportedly "too much of a sweetie" to commit murder anyway.
> 
> #11 - Ruka’s Testimony  
> According to Ruka's testimony, she fell asleep early, but heard someone move around the cabin in the middle of the night.
> 
> #12 - Photograph of Takaaki and Taichi  
> A photograph of Takaaki and Taichi in their Hope's Peak uniforms. This was a part of the motive reveal, and also apparently a part of Ruka's theory.
> 
> #13 - Rotten Plank from Bridge  
> A rotten plank found in the riverbed. This apparently came from the bridge connecting the different sides of the waterfall clearing.
> 
> #14 - Destroyed Frog Pond  
> The frog pond from earlier has been completely torn apart. The bridge was disassembled, the lily pads were uprooted, and the frog statuettes were smashed.
> 
> #15 - Koichi’s Testimony  
> According to Koichi, he heard someone move around the forest during the end of our... outing. He believes this to be the murderer.
> 
> #16 - Tokiya’s Love Letter  
> A love letter, clearly from Tokiya. This was slid underneath Hitomiko's door during the first night of our stay here. It explains that Tokiya would be hanging around the waterfall area most nights.

_All eyes had turned to Hitomiko. She quivered, head wildly swiveling from side to side as she met every one of our suspicious glares. A few times, she opened her mouth, words caught in her throat, before closing it and swallowing them. If there was ever a person to describe the phrase “deer caught in the headlights”, it would be her._

 

_I didn’t want to believe it._

 

_I wanted to consider Hitomiko a friend- or, well, at least a good acquaintance. I wanted to believe in her innocence. I wanted for Ruka to be wrong. It was a lot easier to buy into thinking that someone violent like Takaaki had been the killer, that he was just lying about his alibi… but it didn’t make sense._

 

_As much as I didn’t want to believe it… the truth was right here in front of me._

 

 **JIN:** H… Hitomiko-

 

 **HITOMIKO:** _I didn’t do it!_

 

_Any evidence of her cheerful, happy-go-lucky facade had disappeared from her face. It seemed like only now was the weight of the case starting to weigh on her… and she had cracked quick. Tears started bubbling up around the corners of her eyes, and she’d moved from gripping her arms to holding on tight to the edge of her podium._

 

 **RUKA:** [Accusing; leaning forward] Oh, yeah? If you didn’t do it, give us some evidence. It shouldn’t be too fuckin’ hard to provide.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Panicked; tugging on collar] A-about that, I don’t really… I don’t, uh…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Sullen; shadow falling over face] ...She doesn’t have one.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** I- I still didn’t do it!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I should have guessed it, Hitomiko… you were out late. You didn’t come back to the cabin until an hour past the nighttime announcement.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Angered; pointing] I thought you were just taking photographs!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** I _was!_

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Then why stay out so late?! God, Hitomiko! I was worried about you- I thought you had- I stayed up late waiting for you!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Breaking down; teary-faced] _I didn’t do anything wrong!_

 

 **JIN:** Hitomiko… you were outside during the time of the murder?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Panicked; clutching collar] S-so was Takaaki!

 

 **JIN:** Yeah, but… Takaaki has an alibi. Or… at least half an alibi.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] You really think I coulda caused that much wreckage and still had time to murder someone?

 

 **JIN:** No. Which means…

 

 **HITOMIKO:** P-people could be l-lying about their testimonies, you know!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** I-Isana’s alibi d-doesn’t even make _sense!_

 

 **ISANA:** [Hand held out in “halt” gesture] It totes _does!_

 

 **ISANA:** Like… why would I use a bridge that’s _clearly_ structurally unstable when I could use a route that’s more familiar to me and _doesn’t_ pose the risk of grievous injury?

 

 **MAIKU:** [Determined; hand pressed to chest] Exactly!

 

 **MAIKU:** If _I_ could avoid being hurt, I surely would go with that path. Unless if my beloved was endangered, and I needed to come and save her… I would travel any treacherous path to ensure her safety!

 

 **MINON:** [Disturbed; nibbling on fingers] ...How do you manage to be both creepier… and grosser… than the actual _stalker_ in the room…?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Annoyed; one hand on hip] I’m _not_ a stalker!

 

 **MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] ...Then why’d you assume… I was talking about you…?

 

 **JIN:** Minon. Shut up.

 

 **MINON:** [Yawning; hand covering mouth] Fine… this was boring anyway…

 

 **MINON:**...Why couldn’t the killer be someone interesting… like Shizuya…?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Frantic; sweat rolling down face] Th-that’s it! Shizuya’s the killer!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Scowling; looking down nose] ... _What._

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Y-you _hated_ Tokiya, right? A-and you stayed in the same dorm as him! Y-you could have f-followed him out from the c-cabin and k-killed him!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Like _I_ would do something so _stupid._

 **HITOMIKO:** W-why _wouldn’t_ y-you?! You’ve been p-pretty adamant about you h-hating all of us!

 

_Oh boy… he comes another baseless accusation. I don’t want to hurt Hitomiko more that I already have… but I’ll still have to shoot down her claims._

 

* * *

 

 

**_NON-STOP DEBATE: START!_ **

 

**Truth Bullets: Fan’s Switch / Shizuya’s Testimony / Dismembered Limbs / Renma’s Testimony / Bloody Scrap of Paper**

 

* * *

 

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing] Shizuya’s the killer!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] I’ll give you ten seconds to **apologise** , before I blacklist your work from any major galleries.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** I-I don’t care! I’m n-not gonna let you get away with it!

 

 **HIROKO:** [Pissed off; middle finger raised] Hey, I’m on Hitomiko’s side here! What the fuck was stopping Shizuya from **following Tokiya**?!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Your alibi is s-super **weak** , too!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Hitomiko… you don’t have an alibi either.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Shut up!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** My alibi doesn’t _matter._ What matters is that I wouldn’t kill Tokiya, because **I’m not an** **_idiot!_ **

 

 **MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] Things are… finally getting interesting…

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Shut up. You’re the one that **got me in this mess.**

 

 **MINON:** Yeah but… at least now I won’t pass out from boredom…

 

 **MINON:** ...And **neither will Monokuma** … probably…

 

 **HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] H-honey, if ya think a high-risk case like this is interestin’… I-I think you might wanna see a therapist.

 

 **MINON:** I’ve already… dazzled most therapists… as well as doctors…

 

 **MINON:** I’m a **medical enigma**.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Panicked; clutching collar] H-hey! Don’t get sidetracked, I’m t-trying to find a murderer!

 

Refute 'following Tokiya' with 'Shizuya's Testimony'.

 

* * *

 

 

 **JIN:** _No, that’s wrong!_

 

 **JIN:** Shizuya… while your alibi is still, frankly, non-existent… you mentioned something about being busy when Tokiya left the cabin.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Thinking; clutching cravat] I _believe_ that’s when he left the cabin, yes.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** It wasn’t like I was paying any attention to him.

 

 **JIN:** Right… could you expand on that? I mean, if you didn’t even know _when_ he left, you hardly could have followed him…

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing] Aw, c’mon! You _know_ she’s just going to make something up on the spot!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Scowling; looking down nose] …

 

_Woah, why does she suddenly look so angry?!_

 

 **SHIZUYA:** I was _busy._ That’s all you need to know.

 

 **JIN:** Shizuya… this is the key to your alibi. Please, just… tell us what you were doing.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Nghn… I… I was…

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Vulnerable; looking away] ...I was crying.

 

 **MAIKU:** [Swooning; hand pressed to forehead] Ah, a fellow tragic soul! I knew you had some emotion in you, Miss Shizuya!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] Shut the fuck up, and die.

 

 **MAIKU:** [Horrified; jaw agape] Eek! I was wrong!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Ashamed; eyes squeezed shut] I…The motive hit me harder than expected. That’s all.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** I know it’s fake _now_ , but… god, I was a fucking idiot to believe it in the first place.

 

 **JIN:** Shizuya…

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] Don’t say anything. I don’t need your pity.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Awkward; half-smiling] Um… if you don’t mind me asking… and I mean, you probably _do_ , but…

 

 **KOICHI:** What did you remember? In the motive, I mean.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Ashamed; eyes squeezed shut] …

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Vulnerable; looking away] ...I was forced to care for a disgusting, devil spawn of a _baby._

 

 **RUKA:** [Raising questioning eyebrow] Wait… _that’s_ your most despairing memory?!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Wry smile; resting jaw on fist] Well, that’s certainly more _relatable_ than I expected…

 

 **JIN:** You… you cried for hours because you had to take care of a kid?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Furious; clenched fists] It was a career-ruining setback! And to top it off, it wasn’t even _my_ baby?! It was that- that _whore’s_ kid!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Fucking Fukawa...  why the hell do I even stick with him, that two-timing bastard! I could do… so much better…

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Vulnerable; looking away] …

 

 **SHIZUYA:** It’s fake, anyway. No use getting angry about it.

 

_Well, if there was any doubt left that Shizuya had gotten emotional about the motive… that outburst pretty much destroyed it._

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing] Crying is still a shitty alibi, though… even if your boyfriend was cheating on you, it’s not _that bad_ , y’know? You can just ditch him and get another one!

 

 **KOICHI:** [Awkward; half smiling] Um… Hitomiko, that’s not really how that works?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Of course it is! I mean, it’s not like he can stop you from breaking up with him!

 

 **MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] Wow… so you’re a murderer… _and_ an idiot…?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Panicked; clutching collar] H-hey! I’m not a murderer!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** I thought you were on _my side_ , Minon!

 

 **MINON:** I don’t… _do_ sides… just thought that Shizuya would be a more interesting killer than you…

 

 **MINON:**...Probably because she’s not as dumb as you...

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing] Why, you-

 

 **JIN:** Hold it! Before we start getting into _another_ fight… I think we should run through the alibis just to clear everything up.

 

 **JIN:** The strongest alibis are mine, Koichi’s, Renma’s, Taichi’s, Hiroko’s, and Hana’s, because we were all with our respective ‘buddies’ during the time of the murder. Minon and Maiku were also together… but Maiku can’t vouch for Minon’s whereabouts.

 

 **MINON:** [Absent; sucking on fingers] ...Mnmm… don’t worry… I didn’t go outside…

 

 **JIN:** Well, yeah, you say that, but you know… there’s actually no proof you stayed in the cabin.

 

 **JIN:** Sadamu, Takaaki, and Shizuya had weaker alibis. Sure, they could be doing what they said they were doing, or they couldn’t. All of them still had opportunity to commit the murder.

 

 **JIN:** And lastly… Isana, Hitomiko, Kotohiko, and Ruka do _not_ have alibis. So there are seven suspects left, nine if you count Minon and Maiku.

 

 **ISANA:** [Hand out in “halt” gesture] Hey! I have an alibi!

 

 **JIN:** No, you really don’t. You have an excuse. You knowing about the secret passage doesn’t stop you from still using the bridge, even if it would make more sense for you to go through the woods.

 

 **JIN:** If you don’t have any proof you were busy during the time of the murder, you don’t have an alibi.

 

 **JIN:** Right now, our top suspect is Hitomiko.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Panicked; clutching collar] But I didn’t _do_ it!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Thinking; biting knuckle] I-I mean, when you look at that list of suspects, it c-could probably be _Ruka!_ I-I mean, her baby d-died in her fake memory, right?! That’s like… bad, right?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** A-And she’s accusing me for n-no reason! If y-you ask me, she’s far more su-

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Angered; pointing] Just _stop it_ , Hitomiko!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Stop trying to throw the blame off yourself! Jin, if you ask me… you should be focusing on a different aspect of the case right now.

 

 **JIN:** Huh?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] Well, I mean… we have a suspect, right? We’ve already gone over the alibis like, a million times.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I really think we should be focusing on _how_ the murder went down. And a certain piece of unexplained evidence that _still_ has gone unsolved…

 

 **RENMA:** [Troubled; clutching wrist] Why do you wish to complicate matters further, mortal?! The murder has already been laid out to us in these… Monopads. Wretched devices, but they do not lie, do they?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Well, yeah, but these was still something odd about the crime scene… you know what I’m talking about, right Jin?

 

_Something odd about the crime scene… a certain piece of evidence that’s still gone unsolved… I think I know what Kotohiko’s getting at here._

 

**_PRESENT EVIDENCE!_ **

 

Bloody Kitchen Knife

 

 

 **JIN:** _Take that!_

 

 **JIN:** Kotohiko’s right… there’s one piece of evidence that just doesn’t add up.

 

 **JIN:** The cause of death was Tokiya being thrown into the fan, right? So… why did we find a bloody _knife_ near the crime scene?

 

 **ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] Wh-wh-what! A _knife?!_ That’s totes unsafe!

 

 **JIN:** Well, I mean, it was covered in blood, so… it’s obviously unsafe. That goes without saying.

 

 **HIROKO:** [Confused; running hand through hair] Why the fuck would a _knife_ be there in the fuckin’ first place?! The killer had a giant fan to throw the fucker into. A knife would be useless.

 

 **JIN:** That’s the problem here. We don’t know what it was used for.

 

 **JIN:** Maybe the killer stabbed Tokiya to throw him off balance? He’s pretty muscular, but if he had gone into shock when he was stabbed, it would be easy to push him into the fan.

 

 **MINON:** [Thinking; looking at hand] Heh… if someone stabbed him like that… even someone as weak as _me_ could push him in…

 

 _It looks like the knife was definitely used in the murder… now, we just need to clarify_ **_who_ ** _could have taken it._

 

 **JIN:** Hana… have you taken stock of everything in the kitchen?

 

 **HANA:** [Proud; two fingers held up] Of course I have! What kinda self-respectin’ chef would I be if I hadn’t?!

 

 **JIN:** So… how many kitchen knives are in there, exactly? The big ones, not the butter knives.

 

 **HANA:** [Thinking; resting chin on fingers] Hmmm… If I’m rememberin’ right, there were eight a’ those big knives when I made dinner last night… just yer standard chef’s knives, which was dissapointin’. I woulda killed for a bonin’ knife or two.

 

 **HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] Uh, not literally! I wouldn’t actually kill someone for a knife!

 

 **JIN:**...Last night? What about this morning?

 

 **HANA:** Actually, now that you mention it…

 

 **HANA:** [Biting lip; sweating profusely] Oh, dickens! There were only _seven!_ I knew somethin’ felt off in there!

 

 **JIN:** So that means someone took the knife between dinner last night and… wait, you actually made dinner last night?

 

 **HANA:** [Proud; two fingers held up] Why wouldn’t I? I mean… I know the mood was down, but that don’t mean I can’t still cheer everyone up with a lil’ home cookin’!

 

 **HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] ...Even if only a couple folks showed up…

 

 **JIN:** One of those must have been the killer… Hana, who showed up to dinner?

 

 **HANA:** [Thinking; chin resting on fingers] Hmm… if I’m rememberin’ correctly, the attendees were…

 

 **HANA:** Ruka, Renma, Tokiya, Koichi, Taichi… and Hitomiko.

 

 **JIN:** Removing the victim and the people who have alibis from that list… and that pretty much narrows it down to two subjects.

 

 **JIN:** Ruka… or Hitomiko.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Panicked; clutching collar] See! I _told_ you Ruka was suspicious!

 

 **RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] You know you’re _still_ a fuckin’ suspect, right?!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Y-yeah, but… I never stepped into the kitchen! You’d- you’d need to go in there to get the knife!

 

 **RUKA:** Yeah, well _I_ didn’t _either!_

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Y-you’re such a liar! You’re a huge liar! Y-you’re just trying to pin the blame on _me_ so you can get away with everything!

 

 **HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] Uh… y’all…

 

 **RUKA:** Oh, yeah?! You’re sounding a little hypocritical there, Inazuma!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Breaking down; teary-faced] J-just shut up! Shut up!

 

 **RUKA:** I’ll shut up when you admit that you’re fuckin’ guilty, you-

 

 **HANA:** [Furious; glaring] _Can y’all be quiet!_

 

 **HITOMIKO:** …!

 

 **RUKA:** [Calming down; sighing] I’m… I’m sorry, Hana. That got out of hand.

 

 **HANA:** Y’all _should_ be sorry! I couldn’t even get a word in edgeways with all yer bickerin’ and shoutin’!

 

 **HANA:** I _know_ who went in the kitchen, and it sure as hell ain’t either of you!

 

 **JIN:** Wait… if they didn’t go into the kitchen, who _did?!_

 

 **HANA:** [Awkward; combing hand through hair] Er… Taichi did. But that don’t make no sense, does it? Taichi’s got an alibi, doesn’t he?

 

 **TAICHI:** [Confident; pushing glasses up] An _air-tight_ a-alibi!

 

 **JIN:** Well, yes, but… Takaaki doesn’t.

 

 **HANA:** [Confused; pressing fingertips together] What does that have to-

 

 **HANA:** [Realisation; pointing up in air] Oh! I get it now...

 

 **JIN:** Takaaki and Taichi were working together to tear apart the Frog Pond… who’s to say they didn’t plan to kill Tokiya too?

 

 **TAICHI:** [Shocked; tugging on hair] N-no! That’s n-not what h-happened!

 

 **JIN:** Then what _did?!_

 

 **TAICHI:** I j-just… I needed s-some cutlery! N-not a b-big knife, j-just a butter knife… a-and maybe a fork or two… I w-was just collecting s-supplies for my project!

 

 **TAICHI:** [Confident; pushing glasses up] I-I wouldn’t k-kill anybody _before_ I f-finished my project! That w-would be counterproductive!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; furrowing eyebrows] ...You know, you should probably tell everyone what the project is actually _about_ , Fujisaki.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Being accused of murder once is enough for me.

 

 **TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] I… I c-can’t tell them all the d-details, A-Agent Takaaki. B-but I suppose s-some basic d-details are… _necessary_ to d-divulge.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Neutral; crossing arms] Basically, he’s building something electronic. He needed the screws from the bridge, and the cameras hidden in the frog statues. The lily pads were just me fucking around.

 

 **JIN:** Wait, there were cameras in the frogs?

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Found them the second night here. Creepy, bug-eyed fuckers made beeping noises if you listened real close.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] Wait… Taichi, you’re a _herbalist!_ How do you know how to make electronics?!

 

 **TAICHI:** [Shocked; tugging on hair] Nghn! M-my talent!

 

 **JIN:** ...You’re the Super High School Level _Herbalist?!_

 

 **TAICHI:** Y-you weren’t m-meant to know! Th-that’s classified information!

 

_It would have made more sense for him to be some sort of ‘Super High School Level Conspiracy Theorist’... but I suppose that’s not what I should be worrying about right now._

 

 **TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] B-but… t-to answer y-your question, p-people can have h-hobbies! I j-just like working w-with electronics.

 

 **RENMA:** [Troubled; clutching wrist] Tch… it seems we truly are incompatible… I’ll need you to vacate my dark abode as soon as we leave this deathly gambit.

 

 **TAICHI:** [Accusing; shakily pointing] H-hey! It’s not j-just _your_ cabin!

 

 **ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] But wait… simple cameras and screens and junk aren’t enough for a big _project_ … I should know, my brother’s all into that geeky stuff!

 

 **ISANA:** And it still doesn’t explain why you needed the cutlery!

 

 **TAICHI:** [Confident; pushing glasses up] I u-used them as tools! Screwdrivers a-are basically j-just specialised b-butter knives, in terms of t-their usability… and I u-used forks for the f-finer screws!

 

 **TAICHI:** A-and as for th-the rest of the project’s c-components… t-those are top secret!

 

_Top secret, huh? I can think of one thing Taichi could have used for it’s parts… something he’d explicitly said he’d like to disassemble._

 

**_PRESENT EVIDENCE!_ **

 

Renma's Testimony

 

 

 **JIN:** _Take that!_

 

 **JIN:** Renma… you mentioned that you threw your Monopad away, right?

 

 **RENMA:** [Smirking; crossed arms] Of course. That despicable thing was thrown to the rats the moment I got it.

 

 **JIN:**...Where did you throw it out, exactly?

 

 **RENMA:** In the washing chambers. I drowned it to death.

 

 **TAICHI:** N-no, you didn’t. It’s w-waterproof.

 

 **RENMA:** [Troubled; clutching wrist] Wh-what?! Are you telling me the device _survived_ it’s plunge into the dark depths of Hades?!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Wry smile; resting chin on fist] Hey, look Jin! It’s just like you.

 

 **JIN:** That’s not very funny.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Grow a sense of humour, rookie.

 

 **JIN:** Fuck off. Taichi, you used Renma’s Monopad in your project, didn’t you?

 

 **TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] W-well… yes.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing up arms] Hey! I told you not to mess with those!

 

 **TAICHI:** [Cowering; clutching head] Eek! I-It’s n-not against the r-rules, so I thought i-it was free reign!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Nghn… I guess…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Pissed off; neutral pose] Fine! I’ll let you go _this_ time, but next time I won’t be so nice!

 

 **TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] A-anyway… y-you’re completely c-correct. That’s w-why I needed the butter k-knives, and the forks. I d-didn’t even go _near_ t-the big knives!

 

 **HANA:** [Thinking; resting chin on fingers] Hmm… well, yer right about that. You were off rustlin’ around in the drawers, weren’t you? All the chef’s knives are displayed on a magnetic rack… I woulda noticed if you snagged one.

 

 **HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] Wait… does this mean… no! It can’t be! That don’t make sense!

 

 **JIN:** What is it, Hana?

 

 **HANA:** Well… I wasn’t the one cleanin’ up the dishes last night. Someone else volunteered, and I was already in a bit of a crummy mood, so I let ‘em.

 

 **HANA:** They still did an awful job… they didn’t even wash half the bowls!

 

 **JIN:** Who did it?! Hana, this is the key to our case. Whoever washed those dishes _has_ to be the killer!

 

 **HANA:** Well… y’see… about that…

 

 **HANA:** [Biting lip; sweating profusely] Er… it was **Tokiya.**

 

 **JIN:** Wh-what?!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] _Tokiya_ took it?!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** But that doesn’t make sense… he was the _victim!_

 

 **HANA:** That’s why I _said_ it don’t make no sense!

 

 **HANA:** But it’s the truth. Somehow, and hell if I know why, Tokiya took that knife.

 

 **JIN:** But wait… hang on. That means Tokiya either knew someone was going to murder him, or…

 

 **JIN:** Tokiya was planning a murder of his own.

 

_So the case is finally starting to come together..._

 

 **HIROKO:** [Pissed off; middle finger raised] I _knew_ I couldn’t trust that slimy little bitch!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] I mean… all things considered, it’s probably the latter. No offense but… Tokiya seems kind of… how do I put this nicely…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Um, stupid? I don’t think he’d immediately assume that someone was trying to kill him if they told him to meet up by the waterfall… and that would also assume that the killer _knew_ about the waterfall cave in the first place…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Which they probably _didn’t,_ but Tokiya probably _did._

 

 **JIN:** Yeah… Which also widens our suspect pool again.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] Actually… I believe it would be more likely the knife was taken in self-defence.

 

 **SADAMU:** There’s a giant fan in the cave, _non?_ Why wouldn’t Tokiya just use that as the murder weapon? Why bother with a knife at all?

 

_Sadamu actually brings up a pretty good point… It looks like there’s still something more to this puzzle._

 

* * *

 

 

**_NON-STOP DEBATE: START!_ **

 

**Truth Bullets: Bloody Kitchen Knife / Fan’s Safety Grate / Dismembered Limbs / Ventilation Fan / Fan’s Switch**

 

* * *

 

 

 **SADAMU:** Wouldn’t it make much more sense for Tokiya to have killed with the ventilation fan?

 

 **SADAMU:** I mean, it seems a lot **easier** to kill that way. And we’ve already seen the destruction it can bring.

 

 **ISANA:** [Thinking; pressing finger to temple] But how would the killer know about the cave? Jin’s right, **only Tokiya and I woulda known** for sure!

 

 **SADAMU:** Still… the fan **wasn’t** **blocked** by anything. All you’d have to do is throw someone in and turn it on.

 

 **TAICHI:** [Confident; pushing glasses up] Actually, u-using the fan would be p-pretty unwieldy… maybe he was p-planning to use it to **dispose of the body?**

 

 **SADAMU:** How is it unwieldy?

 

 **TAICHI:** [Accusing; shakily pointing finger] N-not everyone is as **s-strong** as you!

 

 **SADAMU:** Well, the **culprit certainly was** …

 

 **MINON:** [Absent; sucking on fingers] Is that a confession, big guy…?

 

 **MAIKU:** [Determined; palm pressed to chest] Minon, stop! Sadamu **obviously isn’t the killer**!

 

 **HIROKO:** [Pumped; clenching both fists] Besides… why would he go at all if he knew there was gonna be a murder? That punk was **obviously trying to kill someone**!

 

Refute 'wasn't blocked' with 'Fan's Safety Grate'.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 **JIN:** _No, that’s wrong!_

 

 **JIN:** The ventilation fan _was_ blocked by something… at least originally. I found a safety grate hidden amongst some rocks.

 

 **JIN:** Isana, when you found the fan, was it blocked by a safety grate at all?

 

 **ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] Uh… yep! A big grate with a bunch of safety warnings all over it!

 

 **JIN:** So it must have been removed sometime after Isana found it, and sometime _before_ it was used to kill Tokiya.

 

_Wait a second…_

 

 **JIN:** Taichi. You said that knives can be used as screwdrivers?

 

 **TAICHI:** [Confident; pushing glasses up] I-Indeed!

 

_I’ve almost got it… I just need to piece my logic together._

 

* * *

 

 

**_LOGIC LAUNCH: START!_ **

 

* * *

 

 

_Question 1: Why did Tokiya take the knife from the kitchen?_

 

 **To Commit Murder** **For Self-Defence                              He Didn’t**

 

To Commit Murder

 

 

* * *

 

 

_Question 2: Who removed the safety grate?_

**Monokuma                              Tokiya Souda                              The Culprit**

 

Tokiya Souda

 

 

* * *

 

 

_Question 3: How did Tokiya remove the grate?_

 

**With the Knife                              With a Screwdriver                              With His Hands**

 

With the Knife

 

 

* * *

 

 

 **JIN:** _My deductions are clear!_

 

 **JIN:** Tokiya used the knife to remove the safety grate.

 

 **SADAMU:** [Looking to the side] ...How? That doesn’t make any sense.

 

 **JIN:** Well… the safety grate has four large screws that are meant to secure it to the fan. If a chef’s knife was used as a makeshift screwdriver, you could probably pry the screws off of it.

 

 **TAICHI:** [Shocked; tugging on hair] Ack! H-he used my own technique a-against someone!

 

 **JIN:** And as for the blood on the knife… I don’t know. Maybe it got stained when Tokiya was pushed into the fan… or maybe Tokiya _did_ use it to stab someone.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] But wouldn’t that mean someone was walking around with a stab wound on them…? That sort of thing is hard to hide.

 

 **JIN:** Not if you used the self-aid kits. Like the one you used to fix up my nose.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Oh… oh yeah! Those!

 

 **SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] ...Wait… we have first aid kits? I never noticed...

 

 **ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] Yup! I think there’s only like, one per cabin! They’re in the wardrobes… or at least, there was one in mine!

 

 **ISANA:** Which is good, ‘coz I think I’m more qualified for first aid than you, big guy!

 

 **JIN:** Hitomiko, did you know about the first aid kit in your cabin?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Cheeky; tongue out] Well, _duhhh!_ I saw Kotohiko patching you up, remember? But yeah, I didn’t have one in my wardrobe.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Conflicted; wincing] W-wait, that doesn’t make me suspicious, does it?

 

 **JIN:** I mean… it might.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** D-damn it!

 

 **KOICHI:** [Pointing at badge] I have the first aid kit in _our_ cabin, Jin! Which is good, because I _am_ qualified for it.

 

 **MINON:** [Absent; sucking on fingers] Damn… if I had known we had first aid kits… I would have dumped out all the antiseptic…

 

 **MINON:**...It’s so disgusting…

 

 **KOICHI:** [Awkward; half-smiling] Um… I think antiseptic is the _opposite_ of “disgusting”.

 

 **MINON:** Meh… it still smells gross.

 

 **JIN:** So we can pretty much assume that there’s one self-aid kit per cabin.

 

 **JIN:** Damn… if only I could go back and investigate… the one that’s tampered with is obviously the killer’s!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] Not necessarily! I mean, I used mine to treat you, right? And Koichi’s would have been open too… I mean, he did fix his _own_ broken nose…

 

 **KOICHI:** [Touching nose; wincing] Yeah… jeez, that hurt.

 

 **JIN:** Yeah… I suppose that’s right.

 

 **JIN:** ...I guess there’s no more leads for Tokiya. We knew what he was doing… just not how that actually links in to his _own_ murder.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Thinking; clutching cravat] Hmph. Of course, an idiot like you would say that.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Think about it, Jin… why would Tokiya stab someone, when he has something so _petty_ stopping him from _ever_ doing something so violent? I believe that’s a mystery worth touching upon.

 

 **JIN:** Huh?

 

 _Wait a second… I remember something like this. Tokiya_ **_does_ ** _have a reason why he wouldn’t try to stab someone…_

 

**- > Tokiya was hemophobic**

**- > Tokiya was a coward**

**- > Tokiya was too concerned with his reputation**

 

Tokiya was hemophobic

 

 

 **JIN:** _That’s got to be it!_

 

 **JIN:** Tokiya was scared of blood, wasn’t he?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing] What a wuss!

 

 **SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to chin] Ah, I see where you’re going with here… you think that Tokiya wouldn’t plan a bloody murder because he knew it would scare him?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Exactly.

 

 **JIN:** But, I mean… just because he was scared of blood, doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t kill someone.

 

 **JIN:** Sure, phobias are phobias, but the motive must have hit him pretty hard… and there’s no denying he set up the crime scene so that he could throw someone into the fan.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Vulnerable; looking away] Admittedly… that doesn’t make much sense to me either.

 

 **JIN:** Maybe he just thought it wouldn’t affect him that badly? I know people can do a lot of stupid stuff in life-or-death situations.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Sadistic smile; leaning forward] Heh. Maybe the bastard got so freaked out when he stabbed someone, he let them just push him into the fan.

 

_I know it’s a joke, but… that actually makes a surprising amount of sense._

 

 **JIN:** Takaaki… I think you actually might be right.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Raising eyebrow] Huh?

 

 **JIN:** Tokiya was fairly muscular… if I had to judge, I would say he’s the third-most muscular in our cohort. Even people who exercise frequently, like Koichi and Isana, are less muscular than him.

 

 **JIN:** It’s hard to push someone like that over if they still had their wits about them… but if Tokiya was startled, or off-guard, it would be way easier.

 

 **RUKA:** [Thinking; fingers touching bottom lip] So you’re saying that the culprit killed him in self-defence…?

 

 **JIN:** Pretty much, yeah.

 

 **RUKA:** But what if they attacked Tokiya from behind? Surely, it would have the same effect…

 

_I know that’s impossible… and luckily, I have the evidence to prove it._

 

**_PRESENT EVIDENCE!_ **

 

Dismembered Limbs

 

 

 **JIN:** _Take that!_

 

 **JIN:** Tokiya was pushed from the front, likely from a shove to his chest.

 

 **JIN:** If he had been pushed from the back, his limbs wouldn’t have been cut off the way they did. It’s likely they were outstretched when he fell backwards into the fan… and the blades chopped them off.

 

 **RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] I… I see.

 

 **JIN:** Now that we have the basics of the case down… I feel like we should go back to talking about the suspects.

 

 **JIN:** Hitomiko, undeniably, you’re still our strongest one right now.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Panicked; clutching collar] Wh-why is it always _me?!_

 

 **JIN:** Because Ruka’s still right. You still have the weakest alibi here. You weren’t even in your _cabin!_

 

 **JIN:** Do you even have any proof of where you were last night?!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** I-I have my ph-photographs!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Conflicted; wincing] I… um. I left them in my cabin, though…

 

 **JIN:** So, basically, no proof.

 

 **HITOMIKO:**...I can tell you where I went, in pretty good detail. I don’t forget the things I photograph.

 

 **JIN:** Alright. Tell us.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Alright, well… I went out to the wildflower field again, and then deeper into the woods… I… found a strange little clearing, and, well…

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Cheeky; tongue out] ...I saw something.

 

 **JIN:**...Is it relevant to this case?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Blushing; devilish smirk] You tell me… but it was certainly a sight to see!

 

 **JIN:** Huh?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** You deserve this, Jin.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Cheeky; tongue out] Ey, yo, Kotohikoooooooo!~

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Nervous; biting thumb] ...What?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** You’ll _never believe_ what I saw.

 

_...Oh no._

 

 **JIN:** Wait, Hitomiko, you don’t have to-

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** What did you see?!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Oh, nothing… just Jin making out with Koichi!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** _WHAT?!_

 

_I buried my head in my hands, groaning._

 

 **JIN:** Kotohiko, I _wasn’t_ doing that.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Sad; grabbing arm] ...Yeah. He wasn’t.

 

 **JIN:** But, Hitomiko… why the hell didn't you mention this earlier. You _do_ know when me and Koichi were stargazing, right?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Confused; head cocked] Uh… no?

 

 **JIN:** Just after the nighttime announcement.

 

 **JIN:** You’re innocent, Hitomiko. You’ve been innocent all along.

 

 **JIN:** In fact… I had the evidence to prove your innocence this entire time.

 

**_PRESENT EVIDENCE!_ **

 

Koichi's Testimony

 

 

 **JIN:** _Take that… I guess._

 

 **JIN:** _You_ were the strange figure in the woods Koichi noticed. God- if you had just _told_ me you saw us, I could have- you’re a real- ugh!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Annoyed; one hand on hip] I- he’s right, Hitomiko. Why the fuck would you bring this up now, in this way, just to piss Jin off?!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I know that… I know that Jin wouldn’t do what you said he did. But you still saw him, and Koichi saw _you_ , and you just kept quiet about it this entire time.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I… I really expected more from you, you know? I looked up to you as an _idol_ , but this is how you treat people who are just trying to find a murderer?! People who are actually doing their jobs?!

 

 **HIROKO:** [Disappointed; crossing arms] Gotta admit it, sis… that _was_ kind of a dick move.

 

 **HIROKO:** I’m glad that means you’re innocent, though. I mean… what, that narrows the pool down to Bubbles, Bee Brute, Twinky Stalker, Twinky Romeo, Zombie Chick, Miss Stick-Up-Her-Ass, and Princess, right? That’s seven suspects.

 

 **HIROKO:** If you buy into the “emotions are alibis” crap that just leaves five. Honestly, even with the blood phobia, I _don’t_ think Zombie Chick coulda pushed over a pillow, let alone an athlete. So there’s four. And since Bee Brute at least has a semi-reasonable motive, there’s really only three options.

 

 **HIROKO:** Isana, Kotohiko, or Ruka.

 

_None of those options really sound like killers… unless the murder was accidental, course._

 

_...Wait, actually, that makes a surprising amount of sense._

 

 **JIN:** This is probably coming out of left field, but… what if the murder was accidental?

 

 **JIN:** It's pretty much the only way I can imagine any of those three committing murder.

 

 **HIROKO:** _Show me the fuckin’ evidence!_

 

* * *

 

 

 _Oh, before we begin this next segment, I believe I should explain it slightly. Apologies for interrupting the action again, but this next mini game is_ **_entirely_ ** _fanmade, with no reference to the pre-existing mini games. During this segment, Jin will be rapidly asked questions, or “interrogated” by his opponent. It’s up to you to find the right piece of evidence that corresponds with the question being asked. Think of it as a particularly eccentric mix of the Logic Launch, the Rebuttal Showdown, and the Evidence Presenting._

 

_Got that? Good._

 

* * *

 

 

**_ULTIMATE INVESTIGATION INTERROGATION: START!_ **

 

* * *

 

 

 **HIROKO:** If the murder was _really_ an accident, why the hell would they push Tokiya into a giant fan? It's not like you can just turn something like that on by _accident._

 

Fan's Switch

 

 

* * *

 

 

**_DEDUCED!_ **

 

* * *

 

 

 **JIN:** The fan’s switch was on the ground, and it looked just like all the other rocks. It would be far too easy to accidentally activate it.

 

 **HIROKO:** Well- fine, that makes sense- but wouldn't Tokiya just have bounced off the fan if it wasn't on? I mean, he could hardly get sucked into something that wasn't moving.

 

Ventilation Fan

 

 

* * *

 

 

**_DEDUCED!_ **

 

* * *

 

 

 **JIN:** Actually, it'd probably be easier. The fan is giant, and there’s a lot of space between the blades. Tokiya could have gotten stuck in one of the gaps, just before the culprit stepped forward and turned on the fan.

 

 **HIROKO:** Alright, but- you still have no proof that the fan wasn't already _on_ when Tokiya was pushed into it!

 

Hitomiko's Photographs

 

 

* * *

 

 

**_DEDUCED!_ **

 

* * *

 

 

 **JIN:** Actually… I have _photographic_ evidence. See this photo? The switch is visible, but it's completely clear of blood. If the killer had been stepping on it when Tokiya was killed, their foot would have blocked the switch from getting bloody.

 

* * *

 

 

**_CASE CLOSED!_ **

 

* * *

 

 

 **JIN:** There’s no other way… the murder must have been an accident. And if it isn’t… that implies that the murderer had scouted out the cave, found the switch, and known it would have activated the fan.

 

 **HIROKO:** [Bored; resting chin on hand] Yeah, yeah, I get it. It was an accident.

 

 **KOICHI:** [Saluting] Alright! So, culprit! You can reveal yourself now!

 

 **KOICHI:** It’s an accident committed in self-defense, right? Which means they _technically_ shouldn’t go punished for it!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Don’t go making laws up in _my_ court, bastard!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Murder is murder is murder is murder!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** If ya kill someone, you get executed! No exceptions! Do you think I _really_ care about bullshit stuff like “intent” or “motive”?!

 

 **JIN:** So… it doesn’t even matter if the murder is accidental?! They’re still going to die?!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Belly laughing] Bwahahaha! You’ve got that _right!_

 

 **HIROKO:** [Pissed off; middle finger raised] Fuck you! This is… this is bullshit!

 

 **HIROKO:** You should stick to a code of honor, you son of a bitch!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] I _am_ sticking to a code of honor! The Monokuma Code!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Simply put, it’s kill or be killed! And if you kill and get caught, you’re killed anyway! Can’t you see I’m just trying to rid the world of all you murderous schmucks?!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** I’m just having fun with it!

 

 **MINON:** [Bored; rolling eyes] Jeez… it’s not _that_ fun… if I got a better cabin, maybe…

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Hmm… I’ll keep that in mind! I’m sure our complaints department would _love_ to hear that, Minon!

 

 **MINON:**...Mmm… thanks…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Thinking; finger pressed to mouth] But… the murder being accidental _does_ mean something.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Think about it… we don’t have to worry about tying down motives for the suspects, anymore! We can just focus on who _Tokiya_ would have wanted to kill…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** For example… we were actually friends, kind of! I… at least I think I’m the only one who actually _liked_ him?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Conflicted; wincing] Oh, yeah. That was gross.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Imitating Kotohiko; clasping hands] Oh, Tokiya! Can I have your autograph?! Tokiyaaaaa, tell me about your first time doing keirin racing! Hey, hey, Tokiya! When did you start racing, what do you like the most about it?! Tokiya, Tokiya, Tokiya, can I have your underw-

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Angered; pointing] That last one _never_ happened!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Cheeky; tongue out] Hey, it might as well have!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** And Tokiya was wayyyyyy grosser about it than you, anyway.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Imitating Tokiya; puffing chest out] Yo, yeah, little dude! Man, it’s so cool to have fans- fans that don’t kill me, anyway! Heh heh heh! Do you wanna hear about the time I snagged some mad pussy over in France? No? What about the-

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I think they get the picture!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Cheeky; tongue out] The picture isn’t even finished yet, Kotohiko! Trust me, I’m a photographer… and seeing as Tokiya wouldn’t freaking leave me alone, I think I have a bit more of a clue _who_ he might want to stab up a little.

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Like… when Tokiya would go talk to Ruka, she’d be all:

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Imitating Ruka; cracking knuckles] Leave me the fuck alone, you fuckin’ pig! Oh, sorry, I meant… would you please take a long walk off a short cliff for me? See, I’m a proper woman, I don’t swear, ohohohoh!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** And when he’d talk to Isana, _she’d_ be all:

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Imitating Isana; waving hand] Oh, hey, Tokiya! What’s that? You want me to practise CPR on you? Uh… like, okay! So… do you want me to break your ribs in this demonstration, or not? Hehehehe!~

 

 **RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] That is _not_ what I fuckin’ sound like!

 

 **ISANA:** [hand out in “halt” gesture] That’s also not what I-

 

 **ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] Actually, wait, no, that’s pretty much a direct quote. You got me spot on!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Cheeky; sticking tongue out] You think I could be the Super High School Level Impressionist?

 

 **ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] Oh, totes!

 

 **JIN:** Impressions aside… This marks Ruka and Isana as the most likely culprits. Ruka especially, considering at least Isana seemed a _little_ bit nicer to him…

 

 **RUKA:** [Confused; holding back of neck] Nicer…? She asked if he wanted her to break his ribs!

 

 **ISANA:** [Proud; flexing biceps] Sometimes, it’s just an unavoidable part of the process! I wanted to gauge how hard I should make my compressions…

 

 **RUKA:** Wait, so you… actually performed CPR on Tokiya?!

 

 **ISANA:** Oh, yeah! You gotta keep those skills sharp, y’know! He left after a few minutes when I told him I wasn’t gonna practise the mouth-to-mouth part.

 

 **JIN:** I… I think that’s the part he wanted to actually _do._

 

 **ISANA:** [Determined; holding one fist up] Well, _duuuuuh!_ I’m not _that_ dumb, Jinny! But I got free CPR practise out of it, and Tokiya got sore ribs! A win-win!

 

 **JIN:** Right, so… Tokiya either tried to kill someone who nearly broke his ribs, or he tried to kill someone who told him to kill himself.

 

 **JIN:**...We’re never going to figure this out, are we?

 

 **ISANA:** Not with that attitude!

 

_I sighed, returning to the screen in front of me, I scrolled through the evidence that had been covered already, trying to find something new I could talk about, something that could blow this case wide open… but there was nothing. Everything could be explained away, or covered, by some aspect that we’d already discussed. All the testimonies had been picked apart, the knife’s origins had been explained, and the whole business with the Frog Pond had turned out to be entirely irrelevant._

 

_Everything had been covered. Everything had been explained. Everything had…_

 

_Hang on._

 

 _One piece of evidence remained. One piece of evidence stuck out like a sore thumb. One piece of evidence still hadn’t been covered, and now with the new information we knew about the murder, my original assessment of it didn’t even make_ **_sense_ ** _._

 

**_PRESENT EVIDENCE!_ **

 

Bloody Scrap of Paper

 

 

 **JIN:** _Take that!_

 

 **JIN:** Uh… moving away from Tokiya’s motive for a little while… I found something at the crime scene that doesn’t make much sense at all.

 

 **JIN:** Tokiya was holding a small scrap of paper. It was covered in blood, but I just assumed that it was some sort of note telling him where to meet up.

 

 **JIN:** But… if Tokiya _planned_ the murder, why would he have a note like that?

 

 **TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] Hmm… m-maybe he gave the n-note to the _killer…_ a-and somehow h-he got ahold of i-it again during their confrontation.

 

 **TAICHI:** I m-mean… how else would the k-killer know _where_ Tokiya w-would be?

 

 **JIN:** That… doesn’t make _complete_ sense… but I guess it’s the best we’re going to get.

 

 **JIN:** Damn it…! I thought I had- I thought this would save the case!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; furrowed eyebrows] I knew I couldn’t trust a fuckin’ rookie to solve something like this. If you had all just let me-

 

 **RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] Shut up, Taka!

 

 **JIN:** No… he’s right. The best I can do right now is just… sort out the order of this case, and try to find something from that. That’s all I have left.

 

 **JIN:** Simply put… the culprit got a letter from Tokiya. They met up with him in the waterfall cave. He stabbed them, and then they pushed him into the fan. They accidentally stepped on the switch, killing him. They ran off, breaking the planks on the bridge-

 

 **ISANA:** [Hand out in “halt” gesture] Then they’re lucky they didn’t slip through!

 

 **JIN:**...Huh?

 

 **ISANA:** The way the bridge is built… the planks are quite wide. If you broke one, you could fall through the hole really easily!

 

 **ISANA:** If you’re lucky, you would just wet your shoes. But if you’re unlucky… you could hit your head on the side of the bridge, fall into the water, and drown!

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Wry smile; resting jaw on fist] Heh… getting wet shoes might actually be a _plus_ for the killer. It would have washed the blood off them. I mean… not quite sure what the splatter pattern would be… if I got a closer look, I could have analysed it, but…

 

 **TAKAAKI:** We already know where the culprit’s foot was would have gotten covered in blood.

 

 **RUKA:** [Thinking; fingers touching bottom lip] If I did that, my dress would be soaked… I’m glad I’m not the killer, then. This dress is so _expensive_ to dry clean…

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Dawning realisation; horrified] ...Wait.

 

 **HITOMIKO:**...Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.

 

 **JIN:**...What?

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Enraged; smashing fists against forcefield] You liar! You fucking _liar!_ You said you- _you liar!_

 

 **JIN:** H-hitomiko, what’s going on?!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Your hair was wet, so I- you said you took a shower! You liar, you were tracking water everywhere- you fucking- _you liar!_

 

_The forcefield around Hitomiko seemed to fizzle with the force of her blows, bright blue lighting sparking off of it. To say that I was confused was an understatement. What the hell was Hitomiko talking about?!_

 

 **HITOMIKO:** _YOU ALMOST LET ME TAKE THE BLAME- YOU HAD THE AUDACITY TO BLAME ME FOR WHAT YOU DID- YOU LIAR! YOU PIECE OF SHIT! FUCK YOU!_

 

 **JIN:** Hitomiko, what the _fuck_ are you talking about?!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** What the fuck am I- what the fuck am _I_ talking about?! I dunno, Jin, why don’t you ask the _murderer_ here- the lying fucking scum, you-

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Broken down; tears streaming down face] Shut up! I- I didn’t- I-

 

 **JIN:**...Kotohiko…?

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I wasn’t lying! I wasn’t- Jin, tell her she’s the liar! Jin, please, c’mon!

 

 **JIN:** Kotohiko, I don’t even know what’s-

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** _I’M NOT A KILLER!_

 

…

 

_All of a sudden, my life seemed to grind to a halt. I stared ahead, face blank of any emotion. In the distance, I could still hear everyone shouting, but it seemed like I was surrounded by a thick sheet of glass. All I could do was stare, holding onto my podium like it was the only think grounding me to reality. Like it was the only thing stopping me from blowing away like dust in the wind._

 

_I didn’t want to accept this. I don’t think I could, physically._

 

_I… I must be misinterpreting this. Hitomiko must be talking about something else! Kotohiko is just panicking because everything’s really high-strung right now. Because Kotohiko couldn’t be… Tokiya liked him. There’s no motive. Kotohiko is smart enough not to push someone into… Kotohiko is trustworthy. Kotohiko is my friend._

 

_...Maybe there’s a reason why I shouldn’t have friends._

 

_I gripped the podium tighter, grounding myself. I caught control of my breath, only now realising that I’d been hyperventilating. My face was wet. I didn’t know how much time had passed, how long I had been locked in my isolated state. When I focused my eyes, blinking away the remaining tears pooling in them, I found myself staring at Koto-_

 

_I found myself staring at the culprit._

 

_I stood up straight, rubbing my face with one of my arms, and steeled my gaze. I didn’t have time for emotions, right now. I didn’t have use for them. I never would._

 

**_ACCUSE SOMEONE!_ **

 

Kotohiko Maizono

 

 

 **JIN:** _It’s you._

 

 **MAIZONO:** [Desperate; hugging chest] J-Jin… please-

 

 **JIN:** No. It’s you. You’re the culprit, Maizono.

 

 **MAIZONO:** M...Maizono?

 

 **JIN:** You killed someone. I have no obligation to call you by your first name anymore.

 

 **JIN:** Between the two of us, Maizono, I don’t believe you deserve that.

 

 **MAIZONO:** Wh.. what…? Jin, please-

 

 **JIN:** If you had confessed when it was appropriate, I would have continued with that particular pleasantry. I might even have felt _pity_ for you.

 

 **JIN:** But no. You continued to lie about your innocence. You evaded facing the consequences for your guilt. You tried to doom us all to suffer the same fate you _deserved._

 

 **MAIZONO:** [Pitiful; soft voice] Jin… you’re crying.

 

_I frantically rubbed my face with my sleeves, getting rid of any traitorous tears. I wouldn’t let Maizono get into my head this easy. So what if I was still crying? That didn’t mean anything. It was a biological reaction, nothing more._

 

 **MAIZONO:** Jin… I’m really not the killer, I promise.

 

 **MAIZONO:** Hitomiko… just has circumstantial evidence. Think about it- what motive would Tokiya possible have to kill me? Nothing, right? She said it herself!

 

 **MAIZONO:** [Wild-eyed; gripping podium] Having a shower is waaaaay more likely than me _killing_ anyone! C’mon, Jin…

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Seething; shadow falling over eyes] ...He isn’t going to believe you.

 

 **MAIZONO:** [Winking; throwing up peace sign] Of course he will! Me and Jin are best friends, you know! He’s not going to believe your conjecture, Hitomiko! He’s way better than that!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** Just admit to it, already. You know we’re all going to vote you guilty, anyway.

 

 **MAIZONO:** But you… you don’t have to do that!

 

 **MAIZONO:** [Desperate; hugging chest] Jin, please! W-we have- if you vote me, we’ll _both_ die!

 

 **MAIZONO:** [Broken down; tears streaming down face] There’s s-so much I still have to say t-to you!

 

 **MAIZONO:** _Just listen to me!_

 

_Maizono’s words cut through me, slicing into my very soul. But I still couldn’t crumble. Kotohiko was right in one aspect, the evidence was very circumstantial, but it was still evidence._

 

_Maizono leaned forwards, pressing himself against the forefield surrounding his podium, and stared directly at me. The look in his eyes was animalistic, full of pure terror. I looked away from them as soon as I could… and my eyes were directed down to the newspaper article pinned to his chest._

 

 _Or, at least, it had seemed like a newspaper article when I’d first seen it today. If I looked a little closer, it appeared to have been hastily scrawled in pen. The lettering was uneven- unnoticeable from a distance unless you_ **_really_ ** _looked._

 

_...Oh._

 

 **MAIZONO:** [Hands pressed against force field] Jin… please! I didn’t do anything wrong, I swear! You have to believe me!

 

 **MAIZONO:** [Banging hands against force field] _BELIEVE ME! PLEASE BELIEVE ME! PLEASE, YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME!_

 

* * *

 

 

**_PANIC TALK ACTION: START!_ **

 

* * *

 

 

 **MAIZONO:** C’mon, Jin! You trust me, right?!

 

 **MAIZONO:** I’m your friend!

 

 **MAIZONO:** Don’t listen to her!

 

 **MAIZONO:** It’s all circumstantial!

 

 **MAIZONO:** I need you!

 

 **MAIZONO:** Tokiya wouldn’t attack me!

 

 **MAIZONO:** You need to listen to me!

 

 **MAIZONO:** I’m telling the truth!

 

 **MAIZONO:** I wouldn’t lie to you!

 

_You can’t blame me if there’s still no proof!_

 

**CHEST**

**NEWSPAPER                                          ON**

**ARTICLE**

 

NewspaperArticleOnChest

 

 

 **JIN:** _Your fate is sealed._

 

* * *

 

 

**_BREAK!!_ **

 

* * *

 

 

 **JIN:** The newspaper article. The one on your chest. It’s… it’s different.

 

 **MAIZONO:** [Defensive; covering article] W-what do you mean?!

 

 **JIN:** You ripped it, didn’t you? During the murder. When you pushed Tokiya backwards, he must have grabbed on and tore a piece off.

 

 **JIN:** You tried to fake it, but the differences are still visible.

 

 **JIN:** You lied to me, Maizono. You lied to everyone. The murder might have been accidental… but you don’t _accidentally_ try to doom everyone to execution.

 

 **JIN:**...You disgust me.

 

 **MAIZONO:** …

 

_A loud thud rang out through the courtroom as Maizono dropped to the ground, curling up into a ball and beginning to sob. His wails were sharp and agonizing, more like tortured screams than anything else._

 

_Deep inside myself, I felt something stir. I tried to fight it back, tried to remain neutrality to the situation, but it bubbled inside me like hot lava. Shuddering, I gripped onto the podium and rested my head against the force field. I felt like I was going to be sick. I didn’t have anything to feel guilty about, did I? I convicted a murderer. I saved us all from death._

 

_...All of us but one._

 

_That was it. The one exception. The one time I decided to break a rule. Look where it got me. I wasn’t meant to have friends. I wasn’t built for that. I wasn’t meant to get attached. The moment I did, I would have to pay for it. These disgusting feelings… they boiled under my blood, caused tears to spring freely from my eyes and splatter on the screens surrounding the podium._

 

_But I couldn’t give up now. I’d deal with these feelings later. Compartmentalise them. Erase them. Repress them. I needed to complete my job._

 

_No matter how much of a failure I was._

 

 **JIN:**...Let’s… review the facts of the case. Lay down a timeline of events.

 

 **JIN:** If you still vote wrong when I’m finished… that’s hardly my problem.

 

 **???:** W-wait!

 

_I turned towards the sound of the voice, only to see Maizono struggling to his feet. His face was a wreck- his eyes were red, bloodshot, and still pooling with tears. He shivered, tipping his head back to steel his nerves, before gulping with conviction._

 

_And then, he smiled._

 

_It was a broken smile, cracked around the edges, but it was still a smile. A genuine one, not some sick approximation forced upon his face for him to save character. The only indication of his remaining nervousness was found in his posture- he was gripping one of his shoulders, blood starting to pool under his hand._

 

 **MAIZONO:** [Smiling sadly; wound reopening] I… I’m ready to confess.

 

 **JIN:** It’s too late for that.

 

 **MAIZONO:** Yeah, I figured that… but you can’t tell my story if you don’t have all the details.

 

 **MAIZONO:** [Dreamy look in eyes; tears pooling] On a lazy May afternoon, Kotohiko Maizono was born. He grew up without parental influence… only the tabloids lying around his orphanage gave him any direction in life.

 

 **MAIZONO:** Kotohiko found specific interest in Hope’s Peak Academy. The students there led such exciting lives, and they were so full of talent… someday, Kotohiko wanted to be just like them.

 

 **MAIZONO:** The day he got his acceptance letter was the best day of his life.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Melancholic; gripping arm tighter] But of course… only tragedy could follow. Kotohiko got to finally meet his idols… but then he was surrounded by the constant threat of death. But Kotohiko would stay strong. He wouldn’t give in to Monokuma’s schemes.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** But, evidently, Monokuma had other plans. Plans to blame Kotohiko for a crime he never committed- slander against one of the other students. A hot-headed, impulsive student. A student whose main concern was keeping up his image.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Kotohiko didn’t mean to kill him, but Kotohiko didn’t want to die either. So Kotohiko took the cowardly route. The route Monokuma wanted him to take… the route that would ruin him.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** The worst decision I could have made, basically. I don’t expect you to forgive me, Jin. I don’t expect anyone to forgive me.

 

 **JIN:** Kotohiko… you should have told me. It… it would have made my choices so much easier.

 

 **JIN:** I don’t know if I forgive you. But I know what I have to do, now. What I needed to do for a long time.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** Jin, I don’t understa-

 

 **JIN:** You don’t have to.

 

_I should get this out of the way._

 

_If I want to stay this convicted, this trial needs to end. Soon._

 

* * *

 

 

**_CLOSING ARGUMENT: START!_ **

 

* * *

 

 

 **JIN:** It all started with Monokuma’s motive. Unbeknownst to us, the memories he’d implanted into our heads were all fake. Tokiya, however, felt deeply affected by his memories- presumably that his reputation had been ruined by an article the culprit had published. Slowly, he started to hatch a plan of revenge.

 

 **JIN:** First, Tokiya stole a knife from the kitchen. This knife would play two key roles in his plan- the first role was simple. Tokiya returned to his waterfall hideout, and removed the safety grate covering the fan, busing the knife’s blade as a makeshift screwdriver. He hid the grate behind a pile of rocks, and then headed back out so he could talk to his intended victim- the victim that would eventually manage to take Tokiya’s own life.

 

 **JIN:** He told the culprit to meet him by the waterfall. The culprit and Tokiya were on good terms, so they likely didn’t think anything of the meetup. Tokiya led them into the waterfall cave, and set his plan into action.

 

 **JIN:** Tokiya attacked the culprit, managing to stab them in the shoulder. But at the sight of the blood from the wound, Tokiya froze. He’d underestimated his hemophobia, and started to have a panic attack. Taking advantage of this, the culprit pushed Tokiya into the ventilation fan. Before he landed, however, Tokiya managed to grab and rip off a portion of the culprit’s newspaper article, which was pinned to their chest.

 

 **JIN:** Perhaps moving to go and help Tokiya, the culprit stepped forward, unknowingly stepping on and activating the ventilation fan. Tokiya was instantly mangled, and several of his limbs were sliced off. The culprit panicked, pulling the knife out of their shoulder and stashing it in the rock wall separating the two halves of the waterfall cave.

 

 **JIN:** They scrambled over the wall, rushing over the bridge. Halfway through, however, they managed to snap one of the rotten planks making up the bridge, and ended up soaking their pants and shoes. The culprit didn’t have time to worry about this, pulling themself up and continuing their race towards their cabin.

 

 **JIN:** They nearly ran into Takaaki, who was busy disassembling the Frog Pond for Taichi’s project. They had to backtrack through the forest to get back to their cabin, and they returned just before their roommate. To hide their guilt, they changed out of their bloody clothes and took a shower, before bandaging up their shoulder wound with the first-aid kit available in their wardrobe.

 

 **JIN:** They told their roommate that they had showered recently, and that was why there were pools of water all over the room. Their roommate believed this, and sometime before they met up with the rest of the group, the culprit produced a fake newspaper article they could stick to their chest again.

 

 **JIN:** _Did I get all of that right… Kotohiko Maizono?_

 

* * *

 

 

**_BREAK!!_ **

 

* * *

 

 

_The court room remained in awed silence, each member trying to process the situation. We had gone into this room expecting to reveal a heartless killer, someone who would have deserved the gallows; but of course things had to be more complicated than that. It would have been too easy that way._

 

_The only way to win Monokuma’s twisted game was to not play it, and the only way not to play it was to die._

 

_I stood up, rigid, sweeping my vision across the crowd of students. I wanted to see a spark of hope, somewhere- anything to dissuade my theory. The theory that this game would turn us all into monsters, one way or another._

 

_But there was nothing. Those who tried to act unaffected came off as too insincere in their neutrality. Like they were clinging desperately to a mask of superiority, even as it started to crack around the edges._

 

_I should know. My mask had shattered a long time ago._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] Ah, what a heartbreaking ending- er, whoops, I mean _heartwarming!_

 

 **MONOKUMA:** A cute little murder, tied up with a cute little confession! What more could a bear ask for?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Mmmm… actually, there _is_ something else I’m looking forward to _beary_ much! But first… the voting!

 

_The voting monitor flashed in front of me, a small timer on top ticking away the seconds I still had to vote. Could I really do this? Doom Kotohiko to his death? Would I be any better than him…? I hesitated, my finger hovering over the display of Kotohiko’s face, looking up to face the real thing. Kotohiko caught my eye, and nodded slightly._

 

_I pressed down._

 

_Almost instantly, the monitors lining the walls blinked to life, revealing the same photographs present on our student profiles. The monitor above Monokuma displayed the text: “STUDENT VOTES”. One by one, on each monitor, more text lit up._

 

_SADAMU YASUHIRO HAS VOTED FOR… KOTOHIKO MAIZONO!_

 

_HANA HANAMURA HAS VOTED FOR… KOTOHIKO MAIZONO!_

 

_RENMA TANAKA HAS FAILED TO VOTE!_

 

_MAIKU SAEKI HAS VOTED FOR… KOTOHIKO MAIZONO!_

 

_...And so forth._

 

_Evidently, there would be no anonymity in our votes. I watched with dull horror as everyone’s monitors, save Renma’s and Tokiya’s, lit up with Kotohiko’s name. Every new pixel was a stab to my conscience, an ever-growing pile of doubts about my morality. When the circle of votes had been completed, Monokuma’s monitor flickered again, new text appearing on the screen:_

 

_AND THE CULPRIT IS…_

 

_A bright red spotlight suddenly shone on Kotohiko’s podium, his monitor switching to a live feed of his face. His podium slowly moved into the centre of the room, and a childish jingle played loudly through some invisible speakers. Every monitor, save Kotohiko’s, started to flash with the word “CONGRATULATIONS!”._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Belly laughing] Ding-ding-ding! Correct-a-mundo! The murderer of Tokiya Souda is none other than everyone’s favourite lil’ stalker, Kotohiko Maizono! Yahoooo!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Wiping tear from eye] Oh, I’m so proud of all of you… except you, Renma! What the heck was that?! Failure to vote is sooooooo boring!

 

 **RENMA:** [Troubled; clutching wrist] I… I didn’t know how.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing up arms] It’s the easiest dang thing in the world, you stupid piece of-

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] No, no, I can’t go getting angry right now. Not at the happiest moment of my life!

 

 **JIN:** You’re sick.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Happy; holding belly] And lovin’ it!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Tense; squeezing eyes shut] Uh… Monokuma… is this the part where you… where I…

 

 **KOTOHIKO:**...I’m ready for it! Bring out the firing squad, I… just make it quick!

 

 **JIN:** W-wait, Monokuma, don’t listen- Kotohiko, I need to tell you something.

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Confused; opening one eye] ...Huh?

 

 **JIN:** I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry, I… I…

 

_Despite myself, I could feel my throat starting to clench. Why was this so hard to say? Why was I choking up now?_

 

 **JIN:** I-I care about you. And I… I’ll never stop caring about you. And I-

 

 **KOTOHIKO:**...I know, Jin. I feel the same. And… even when I’m gone… I’ll still be with you, y-you know? You can’t get rid of me that… that easily!

 

 **JIN:** Koto-

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Mmm, I hate to interrupt this mushy pityfest, buuuuuuuut… you’ve got me all wrong, Kotohiko!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] _Firing squad?!_ What kind of a weak bastard do you think I am?!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** This… I _am_ going to get executed, aren’t I…?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Well, duuuuuuuuuuuh! But I like to do things with more… how do I say this… _pizazz._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Why shoot or hang or electrocute someone when you can toss them in a giant blender, or liquefy them in a big metal cage, or run them over with wild animals?

 

 **MONOKUMA:** It’s so _boring_ to do things the normal way!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Desperate; hugging chest] But- that-

 

 **JIN:** I swear to god if y-

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** [Broken down; tears rolling down face] _I DON’T WANT TO DIE LIKE THAT!_

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Mmm, tough shit, cupcake! Maybe you shoulda thought about that before ya killed someone!

 

 **KOTOHIKO:** I-I didn’t mean to, I didn’t mean to-!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** And since you were so _eager_ to get your punishment… I guess you’ve left me with no choice but to start it ASAP!

 

_Kotohiko scrambled inside the walls of his podium, starting to bang at them again. Without really thinking, I tried the same tactic, smashing my fists against the invisible walls surrounding me. Monokuma snickered at our attempts, pulling a gavel from the arm of his chair and lifting it above his head._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Holding up gavel] I’ve prepared a _very_ exciting punishment for our resident Tabloid Author, Kotohiko Maizono!

 

 **JIN:** _W-wait! You can’t do this yet!_

 

 **MONOKUMA:** So let’s give it everything we’ve got!

 

_Screaming in frustration, I threw myself at the barrier… and something broke. A sharp sizzling noise filled my ears, as the nanobots presumably short-circuited… allowing me to lean across my podium and reach out to Kotohiko._

 

 **MONOKUMA:** [Banging gavel down] _IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT’S PUNISHMENT TIME!_

 

_One last time, Kotohiko punched against the force field surrounding his podium, and managed to break the barrier as well. He reached towards my hand, our fingertips grazing… we were so close. I just needed to lean a little closer, to grab onto Kotohiko’s wrist, and then-_

 

_It happened so fast. A metal collar appeared from nowhere, clamping around Kotohiko’s neck and tugging him skyward. His fingertips slipped from my grasp, and I felt myself let out an inhuman scream. A portion of the ceiling had come away, and all of a sudden, Kotohiko was pulled up through it._

 

_I stumbled backwards, falling off my podium and onto the floor. Kotohiko was gone. He was gone, and who knew what horrible punishment Monokuma would infli-_

 

_I didn’t even get to finish my thought before the screens switched to display cutesy, pixelated image of Kotohiko being dragged away by Monokuma. It wasn’t long before it changed again… and I was shown the meaning of true despair._

 

* * *

   


**“EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT!”**

**KOTOHIKO MAIZONO’S EXECUTION**

**STATUS: EXECUTED**

 

* * *

 

 

_Kotohiko sat on a large conveyor belt, looking around in frantic fear. The chain around his neck had disappeared, and he stood shakily to his feet, trying to assess the situation he was in. The room around him was bleak and empty, but on either side of the conveyor belt, a long drop into what seemed to be a spiked floor was visible. Kotohiko shuddered, stumbling backwards- and then the conveyor belt lurched forwards._

 

_Losing his balance, Kotohiko ended up on his back, and he scrambled to sit back up and regain his balance. He hugged his knees, shivering, and squeezed his eyes shut… like he was waiting for whatever fate Monokuma had in store for him. All of a sudden, a nozzle slithered out from a compartment on the roof, aimed directly at Kotohiko’s side. The sudden noise of it jutting out to meet him caused his eyes to fly wide open, and, instinctively, he held out his hands to defend himself._

 

_A large jet of what seemed to be black ink shot out of the nozzle, staining the palms of Kotohiko’s hands. Instantly, he screamed, trying to scrape the ink off them by wiping them on the conveyor belt beneath him… only to find his flesh coming away with it. He screamed louder, watching in complete horror as the acidic ink melted through his hands, revealing white bone underneath them. At this point, all Kotohiko could do was to grit against the pain, standing up and trying to run backwards, against the flow of the conveyor._

 

_In an instant, another nozzle appeared, this one aimed at his left leg. Kotohiko didn’t have time to react before it was engulfed in the ink, sizzling through his pants leg and melting through the flesh underneath. He fell to his knees, tears rolling down his face, as his leg seemed to melt into a puddle of gore- only the bone remaining. With no further defence left, Kotohiko curled into a ball, shielding his head under his arms and back._

 

_Several more nozzles appeared, each shooting streams of the ink, soaking Kotohiko’s entire body in it. He didn’t have the energy left to scream anymore, and as the ink burnt through his chest and lungs, he couldn’t have even done it if he tried. Kotohiko’s body wracked as it tried to keep him alive, blood pooling and mixing with his liquefied flesh-_

 

_Until the conveyor belt reached its end, forcing the still-living remains of Kotohiko’s body through what looked to be an antique printing press. The camera angle shifted, showing Monokuma turning a crank on the machine, as newspapers flew out of it, progressively becoming more and more bloodsoaked. One of them landed in front of the camera, and it panned down to show it in its entirety._

 

_“KOTOHIKO MAIZONO FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER!” it read, with a picture of Kotohiko’s screaming, tortured face next to it._

 

_And then the screen went black._

 

* * *

 

_I was left staring at the empty screen, Kotohiko’s screams ringing in my ears._

 

_I couldn’t move._

 

_Only one thought was rushing through my mind:_

 

 _Kotohiko Maizono was dead, and it was all my_ **_fault._ **

 

_I sunk to my knees, nearly choking on the very air around me. I was heaving in shuddered breaths, my stomach churning with disgust, and thick bile burnt in my throat. I was a murderer. I was a killer. It didn’t matter that everyone would have died if Kotohiko hadn’t. He didn’t deserve it._

 

_But I did._

 

_Dimly, I felt someone pull me to my feet. They picked me up in their arms, carrying me towards the elevator. Someone flitted around them, speaking in a squeaky, high-pitched voice, but I couldn’t make out any words. All I could do was keep mindlessly staring into nothingness, Kotohiko’s execution playing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over-_

 

_A sharp burn to the back of my hand shocked me out of my stupor, and I scrambled upwards, nearly falling out of Sadamu’s arms. My eyes snapped back into focus, nerves screaming as they were startled back to life. I cradled my hand to my chest, staring down with wide eyes at the circular burn mark pressed into it, scarring the pale flesh._

 

 **SADAMU:** _You sick bastard._

 

_Sadamu’s arms shifted, and he cradled me closer to his chest, pulling me away from a smirking Takaaki, cigarette butt perched between his fingers. He dropped the butt to the ground, grinding it underneath his heel._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Snapped him out of it, didn’t it?

 

_At this, Sadamu merely growled, and began marching towards the elevator. Takaaki trailed behind, but didn’t make another attempt to burn me. Sadamu’s grip was warm and about as comforting as it could be, at least in this situation. Even as he shuffled into the elevator, and I felt my side pressed against Takaaki’s, I felt safe._

 

_It almost made my decision a little bit harder._

 

_...No, I couldn’t go doubting myself now._

 

_Not now._

 

_The ride back to the biodome was quiet, sullen expressions dotting the room. Occasionally, a few members would shoot pitying glimpses my way. I tried to avoid eye contact. They didn’t need to see me- see what my eyes would convey. Nobody needed to see my suffering. It would be far too… intimate._

 

_As the elevator shuddered to a stop, I slipped away from Sadamu’s arms, landing shakily on my feet. He kept a hand on my shoulder, leaning over me like a protective golem leaning over its master. I brushed the hand away, pushing my way to the front of the crowd, and stepping out into the green of the forest._

 

_Okay Jin, focus._

 

_How are you going to do this?_

 

_A memory of the river’s rapids roared in my ears, but I shook the idea away. Too much effort. Too hard to do on my own. The suggestion faded away into the distance, and I wandered deeper into the forest, brushing my fingers against the harsh bark of the trees. Not much I could do here, nothing as short-term as I needed. No, I needed something quick. Something easy._

 

_Emerging into the campground, I let my feet carry me to my cabin. I wasn’t sure if I had anyone trailing me… but if Koichi had any good sense, he would leave me alone. Taking a peek over my shoulder, I spotted him hovering by a tree, looking at me with a mixture of confusion and concern. I shook my head at him, and he startled, before biting his lip and heading back into the forest. Good choice._

 

_I needed time, time that I wouldn’t have if I had someone hovering around me._

 

_The cabin door creaked inwards, and I stood staring at my options. Two beds, two wardrobes, one bathroom. Not much to work with, but I could get creative. I sat down on my own bed, leaning against the wood of the wall. Focus, Jin. You can’t give up now. You need to think._

 

_Remember your motivations._

 

_Soft hands brushing against your cheek. Quick, darting glances of those clever blue eyes. A light flush dusting his face. Ink-spotted hands running against yours._

 

_His gurgling screams as he melted down into nothing._

 

_Nothing, nothing, nothing._

 

_Nothing, just like you were nothing. Nothing, just like your dreams were nothing. Nothing, just like your purpose was nothing._

 

_Focus, Jin._

 

_Focus._

 

_Snapping my eyes up, an idea started forming in my mind. I scrambled to my feet, tugging the sheets off of my bed, tying them together as well as I could. It was messy, but the knots held fast, and with the addition one of Koichi’s sheets, they were long enough. Good enough to get the job done._

 

_Standing on the edge of my bed, I managed to sling the makeshift rope over one of the cabin’s rafters. I had to teeter on the edge in other to tie it there, letting the rest of it hang free. The blankets barely brushed the ground, and I jumped down, gathering them in my arms. From there, it was easy to tie them back up, into something… more manageable._

 

_The noose hung from the ceiling, an ominous force that seemed to suck all the light out of the cabin._

 

_I started to shake, hot adrenalin filling my veins, like a creeper vine running through my veins. I bit my lip, sinking to my knees and pressing my head against the floor. My hands clenched my hair, nearly tugging it out. The heavy weight of doubt pressed down on me, making it harder and harder to stand up._

 

_Could I really do this?_

 

_End everything, just for a lost friend?_

 

_Could I…_

 

_Somehow, the worst realisation of the night was the answer. A solid, resounding… yes._

 

_Yes, I could do this. I could kill myself, just because I’d killed someone I held close. Scrambling for reasons to live… I couldn’t find anything substantial. Come on, Jin… you need substantial evidence. You can’t prove that you deserve this life, can you? But the proof to the contrary… oh, it’s in piles._

 

_I lurched to my feet, climbing up onto the bed again. Reaching out, I grabbed the noose, feeling my fingers run against the soft silk. Taking a deep inhale, I pulled it close, slipping it over my neck. It was a tight fit, already pressing soft against my throat. I gulped, looking down at the ground below._

 

_Any last words, Jin?_

 

_…_

 

_Is there even anything left to say?_

 

_What value are last words? Nobody’s going to hear them._

 

_I clenched my eyes shut, exhaling all the air from my lungs. I let go of the noose, letting my arms swing back down into a neutral position. The world felt still, and my rising heartbeat thudded in my ears. I tried to crack a smile, soft tears running down my face and dropping to the ground._

 

_I’ll see you soon, Kotohiko._

 

_And then…_

 

_I stepped forwards._

 

**“A FOREST OF LOST SOULS” DEADLY LIFE - END**

 

**14(?) STUDENTS REMAINING**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's a cliffhanger.
> 
> In other news, the FTE poll is now open! So get voting!
> 
> https://goo.gl/forms/KDXFBI1amRXJYMp42


	9. CHAPTER TWO: "Frozen Teardrops Scattered on an Angel's Wasteland" [PART ONE]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bringing back some CWs, because none of these really spoil too much! Warning for suicide mentions (although you'd probably already gathered that from the last chapter), and one scene depicting vomiting. 
> 
> Anyway... sorry for the long break! I hope I didn't leave you HANGING for too long!

_ The boy hurried out of the closet, stepping over the corpse of the girl and running a hand through his hair.  _

 

_ He had done it. He had killed someone. And although he knew it was for the best… although he knew it was his mission… he couldn’t stop from feeling horrible. Was this really right? To end a tragedy by committing another one? It certainly didn’t feel much like hope to him. But they were his orders, and he had to follow them. They’d all agreed that it would be for the best.  _

 

_ He slumped against the wall, nearly dropping the gun.  _

 

_ No, it wasn’t right. It wasn’t a good idea. Why did everyone always have to resort to violence when these things came up? Why was  _ **_he_ ** _ chosen for this mission? Because he had screwed up before?! Now he had blood on his hands, when he’d spent  _ **_so long_ ** _ trying to keep them clean.  _

 

_ But what was done was done. It wasn’t like he could go back and stop himself… at least, not for this specific occurance. He wasn’t sure what would happen if he tried, but it probably wasn’t good. Sighing, he stuffed the gun in his suit pocket, walking back over to the closet and picking up his briefcase. Adjusting his tie, he started towards the front door… _

 

_ Only to find it slowly creep open, a short child standing in the doorway.  _

 

_ Staring at him. _

 

_ Staring at the body.  _

 

_ Looks like this mistake was coming back to bite him sooner than expected.  _

 

**CHAPTER TWO - START**

**“FROZEN TEARDROPS SCATTERED ON AN ANGEL’S WASTELAND” - DAILY LIFE**

 

_ The next thing I remembered was waking up on the floor, gasping in a deep breath of air. _

 

_ Everything about me ached. My lungs and throat felt sore, and my head was dizzy from lack of oxygen. Rasping out an exhale, I tried to sit up, but lurched back downwards as black spots started to dance in front of my eyes. _

 

_ It took a few more moments for me to regain clarity, enough to sit up and assess the situation. Clearly, I had failed. My makeshift noose was still tied around my neck, but it had somehow come free of the rafters, and had fluttered down around me. I reached up to tug the noose off of my neck, placing it down on the ground. Looking closer, I could see that the blanket the noose was attached to had been sliced straight through the middle, cleanly cut in two. _

 

_ It didn’t look like gravity had ripped it, so why was it broken? Had somebody broken in to save me? Who would do that? Surely, nobody cared enough. I was still a stranger to everyone here. They didn’t know anything about me.  _

 

_ If they did, I’m sure they’d be disgusted.  _

 

_ I pulled my knees closer to my body, resting my forehead on them, trying to think through the clouded static filling my brain. I needed to think rationally. Who would think to look for me here? Who would think that I would… do something like this? Who would think I was worth saving? _

 

_ The soft grip of a palm on my shoulder shocked me out of my thoughts, causing me to tense up with adrenalin. Oh god, they were still here. They hadn’t left me. They’d want answers, they’d want to know why I would…  _

 

**KOICHI (Voice):** ...Jin? 

 

_...Of course.  _

 

_ I lifted my head from my knees, turning towards the sound of the voice. Koichi was standing above me, his hat askew, and tears spilling down his cheeks.  _

 

**JIN:** K-koichi…

 

_ It hurt to speak, my voice harsh against my bruised vocal chords. I reached up to lightly brush my fingertips against the sore skin, finding it- well, not quite rubbed  _ **_raw_ ** _ , like it would be if I used a rope, but still not in the best shape. Koichi knelt down, wordlessly grabbing the noose from the floor, getting to work untying it with surprisingly deft fingers. In what seemed like seconds, the noose was nothing more than a couple blankets lying on the ground. _

 

_ They seemed so harmless. _

 

**KOICHI:** [Gripping blankets; knuckles white] Don’t you… don’t you  _ ever  _ do that again, I-

 

_ Koichi sighed, relaxing and letting the blankets slide out of his grip. He turned to catch my eye, and I saw a quick glimpse of… something. It was gone before I could even process it, but I could have sworn those icy blue eyes were hiding something more complex than simple concern. _

 

_ Maybe I’d brought up bad memories. _

 

**KOICHI:** [Sullen; pulling out pocket knife] ...You’re lucky I had this on me. I was able to cut through it pretty quickly. 

 

_ The knife glittered in the soft sunset light filtering in through the windows. A sharp suggestion cut through my mind, and I tried my best to quiet it. It wasn’t like Koichi was here to kill me, no matter how relieving that might be. No matter how much I still deserved it.  _

 

**JIN:** I… I’m… thank you.

 

_ Suddenly, Koichi caught me in a hug. I flared up in discomfort, as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to his chest. I stilled, not sure what I should do. Tentatively, I reached out to wrap my arms around him as well, reciprocating the gesture. Koichi was warm, like Sadamu had been, and his soft hair brushed against my cheek.  _

 

_ It wasn’t enough to make me feel better, but once I relaxed into it… it was nice. It was nice to know that someone still cared about me. _

 

**KOICHI (Voice):** Why did you…?

 

_ Koichi murmured against my ear, the question unsure and trailing off at the end. _

 

**KOICHI (Voice):** You don’t need to answer, I… well, I guess I already know the answer. 

 

_ Thinking back… why did I do that?  _

 

_ Impulse, I guessed. It felt like the easy way out. I’d lost someone I… I’d thought was close to me, someone who paid attention… it was too easy to forget the situation we were in, and when reality came rushing up to me, I took the cowardly route. Of course.  _

 

_ I always took the easy way out.  _

 

_ But… would Kotohiko really have wanted that? Wanted me to stop trying, to just give up? Let the murky waters of despair drown me, tug me under and leave me senseless? No, he wouldn’t. He’d admired my tenacity, my talent, my drive. And I’d nearly thrown it all away, just on an impulse. He wouldn’t have wanted that. I was sure of it. _

 

_...And if I wanted it…?  _

 

_ Well, I’d need to stop being so selfish.  _

 

**JIN:** ...It was a mistake. 

 

**KOICHI (Voice):** Ah… 

 

**JIN:** Anyway… 

 

_ I pulled away from Koichi, standing up and using my bed as a support. I sighed, looking down at the useless tatters that once used to be my bedsheets.  _

 

**JIN:** It’s nearly nighttime, isn’t it? We should sleep.

 

_ Koichi stood up, an almost indignant look on his face. He gripped my shoulder, staring into my eyes. I averted eye contact, face heating up in self-conscious embarrassment. I didn’t want him to get too close, to see what I was really thinking. I’d have to be a lot more… guarded, from now on.  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Pressing knife to palm] Jin, give me your hand.

 

**JIN:** ...Huh?

 

_ Koichi had pressed his pocket knife into the bare flesh of his palm, just a flick of the wrist away from slicing it open. Instinctively, I grabbed his wrist. I didn’t need to see more blood today. He looked at me, blinking in a bewildered fashion, before a spark of realisation lit up his eyes and he drew the knife away from his palm.  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Gesturing to knife] Ah, don’t worry! I was just… suggesting we make a promise.

 

**JIN:** What… what kind of promise?

 

_ Koichi shifted his stance, a faint flush brightening his cheeks. He tugged his hat down, adjusting it with shaking fingers. This time, he was the one avoiding eye contact, instead preferring to stare down at the knife clutched in his right hand.  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Embarrassed; covering face with hat] Ah… well, back in my camp… we’d have these blood oaths between close friends.

 

**KOICHI:** Nothing too major, just a pinprick, but it was meant to solidify our status as… brothers, I guess. And, well… I don’t want this to happen to you again, Jin.

 

**KOICHI:** You’re someone I consider a friend… so… I promise that I won’t let you get hurt. I’ll stick by you, no matter what. You can pretty much consider me your bodyguard, if you want to think about it like that-

 

**JIN:** Koichi, that’s ridiculous. 

 

**KOICHI:** [Surprised; covering mouth] Huh?

 

**JIN:** Why would you… we hardly know each other. 

 

**KOICHI:** Well y-yeah, but-

 

**KOICHI:** [Embarrassed; covering face with hat] I still trust you. You, ah… you seem trustable! And I just- please, just let me have this. I need a purpose.

 

**JIN:** Purpose…?

 

**KOICHI:** [Panicked; clutching shoulders] It’s nothing bad! I- I just-

 

**KOICHI:** [Sad; grabbing arm] Back in my camp… I was… we had a bunch of people, from all different backgrounds- young children, abuse victims, even some homeless campers who needed a place to stay…

 

**KOICHI:** And I swore to protect them all. They were my second family. You don’t know… how  _ hard  _ it is to be away from them. To not know what had happened… to the camp, to the kids… it eats at me.

 

**KOICHI:** I need to feel… responsible for something. For someone. And, if it’ll make you feel better…

 

**KOICHI:** [Saluting] You can promise to protect me too! So we’re even! 

 

_ When he puts it like that… there’s really no way I can refuse, can I? I held out my hand to Koichi, wincing as he cut a neat slice across the palm. I guess it was harder to do a pinprick when all you had was a pocket knife. He handed the knife over to me, palm up. _

 

**KOICHI:** [Holding out palm] Remember to cut shallowly! That’s a pretty dangerous knife in the wrong hands. 

 

**KOICHI:** I’d cut my own palm, but Monokuma’s nanobots would heal it up, so… just keep a steady hand!

 

**JIN:** I’ve cut things before, don’t worry…

 

_ I gripped Koichi’s hand with my cut one, slicing across it as neatly as I could. The pooling blood made me feel a little sick, so I covered it in my bloody hand immediately after finishing. _

 

**JIN:** This is how you do it, right?

 

_ Koichi gripped my hand, letting our blood mix between the palms.  _

 

**KOICHI:** I swear to always protect you, Jin Kirigiri, for as long as we’re in this killing game together.

 

_ Koichi stared at me with fierce intensity, and I felt myself shudder slightly in apprehension. This… this meant a lot to him. What if I messed it up? What if I got him killed? _

 

_ There was no backing out of it now. _

 

**JIN:** I… I swear to, uh, always protect you, Koichi Kizakura. For as long as we’re stuck here. 

 

_ Koichi pulled his hand away, heading towards the wardrobe and tugging out the first aid kit. He wrapped his hand in the gauze, offering me some. I tore my eyes away from the scar on my hand, the mess of blood pooling in my palm, in order to grab the gauze and wrap up my hand properly. _

 

_ On second thought… I should probably wrap my other hand as well. The burn Takaaki left me could get infected if I left it out in the open. I quickly wrapped that up as well, before handing the roll of gauze back to Koichi.  _

 

_ In the end, only the stinging pain and the slight bloodstain leaking through the gauze left any evidence of our little blood pact.  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** Ahem, ahem.

 

**MONOKUMA:** It is now 10pm, and therefore night hours! Have a despairingly good sleep, but make sure to lock the doors! Upupupupu!

 

_ Ten already…? We really should be getting to sleep.  _

 

**JIN:** Well… I’m heading to bed. I’ll see you in the-

 

_ Oh yeah. I’d ruined my bedsheets. _

 

**KOICHI:** [Hesitant; biting finger] Um, Jin…? If you’d like… you can sleep in my bed tonight.

 

**JIN:** ...But then you’d have to sleep on the floor.

 

**KOICHI:** [Embarrassed; covering face with hat] Uh… I was thinking that we could share it? 

 

_ Oh. _

 

**JIN:** Um… that’s okay. I’ll just sleep without sheets. I don’t think it’s big enough for both of us. 

 

**KOICHI:** [Flustered; eyes squeezed shut] Uh- that’s okay! I’ll sleep without sheets, then!

 

**KOICHI:** [Pointing to badge] After all, I’ve been camping in far worse conditions! And I think you deserve to have a good rest…

 

**JIN:** ...Thanks, Koichi.

 

_ I toed off my shoes, unbuttoning my cape and letting it drop to the ground. I didn’t really feel like bothering to fold it, not tonight. I slowly slid into bed, facing away from Koichi, and trying to get some rest despite the throbbing in my hand and the horrific images replaying in my mind. I just squeezed my eyes closed tighter, and willed myself to sleep.  _

 

* * *

 

**MONOKUMA THEATRE**

 

**MONOKUMA:** I’ve always wondered why people wish for success.

 

**MONOKUMA:** People will trip over each other just to get a good job, or a good girlfriend, or a good house. Honestly, I find it all pointless!

 

**MONOKUMA:** Even if you have the best job in the world, the nicest girlfriend you could find, and a multi-million dollar mansion… you can still hate your life. 

 

**MONOKUMA:** That’s the problem, here… when you’ve reached your peak, what else can you strive for? When you’re on top of the world, you can’t climb higher!

 

**MONOKUMA:** All of a sudden, your life’s purpose vanishes in a flash! When you’ve met all your goals, there really isn’t much point living anymore, is there? 

 

**MONOKUMA:** And, of course, if you still manage to be happy despite all this…

 

**MONOKUMA:** You can still lose it all! One natural disaster, or bad investment, and you’re back to square one! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** When you think about it, life really is an exercise in futility. And there’s only one escape! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** That’s why I consider my killing games charitable acts. Wouldn’t you agree? 

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

_ The sun filtered through the window above my bed, waking me up from the dregs of sleep. Ugh, no wonder Koichi always woke up early… I stretched, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, before shuffling off of the bed and over to the wardrobe. I opened it on autopilot, staring at the arrangement of… cream-coloured shirts and brown shorts. _

 

_ Ah, right. This was Koichi’s wardrobe. _

 

_ A strange curiosity gripped me as I stared at the clothes. They really were all the same, just like mine had been… did Monokuma really have the time to duplicate all our outfits? Sure, Koichi wore a uniform, but it was a little unusual that he’d have this many copies of the exact same outfit. The only thing that stuck out as different was a grey undershirt, hanging amongst the shirts. _

 

_ Actually, it looked a little bit tight to be an undershirt. Weird. _

 

_ Oh, well. I didn’t wanna snoop any more and risk running into his underwear, or something similarly gross. I shut the door to the wardrobe, moving over to my one, and catching a glimpse of Koichi. He was curled up on the bed, shivering slightly in his sleep. Suddenly, I felt like shit. _

 

_ It’d been my fault my sheets were ruined, and now Koichi had to suffer for it. I really was selfish, wasn’t I? _

 

_ Quickly, I got dressed in some fresh clothes. I stared at the dirty ones, bunched up in my hands, and felt the urge to burn them. There were too many memories tied to them, memories I would rather forget entirely. I balled them up, throwing them to the bottom of my wardrobe. Satisfied, I ran a hand through my hair, before grabbing a sheet from Koichi’s bed and throwing it over him. Hopefully that would stop the shivering. _

 

_ I exited the cabin, taking in the atmosphere of the camp. The clouds from earlier had disappeared, leaving the same cheery sunshine from earlier. Only now, it didn’t feel so cheery. It felt mocking, the harsh sunlight peeking over the horizon and glaring judgmentally at me. I shivered, turning away from the light.  _

 

_ Nobody else seemed to be awake yet. I pulled my Monopad out of my pocket, checking the time. _

 

**JIN:** Five AM, huh…

 

_ Well, that was earlier than I thought it would be. Two hours before everyone would get their wakeup call, and then I’d be swamped with their sickly sweet pity. Two hours alone, with nobody to… stop me. I could do anything. _

 

_ … _

 

_ But I’d made a promise.  _

 

_ Sighing, I trudged across the camp, sitting down at the campfire. We’d never had a chance to use this, did we? If I closed my eyes, I could almost imagine what could have been- Kotohiko, roasting marshmallows with a bright smile on his face, the embers making his eyes sparkle in the firelight. Tokiya, telling some sleazy story of his racing days, even though nobody was really paying much attention. It would have been… nice. _

 

_ I opened my eyes, staring at the empty seats around me, and the dull coals of the fire. It wasn’t worth thinking of things that couldn’t happen. Not anymore. I kicked a rock around the edge of the firepit, pushing it amongst the coals. God, it had only been… what, four days? _

 

_ Four days and two people had died.  _

 

_ Not even that, really. Tokiya had been killed three days in. We couldn’t go three days without buying into Monokuma’s twisted, fucked-up game. I grabbed out my Monopad again, navigating to Tokiya’s profile. _

 

_ His picture had been greyed-out, a bloody X crossing through it, just like his hologram had looked in the trial. I felt sick, but continued scrolling through it.  _

 

_ Tokiya Souda, born the 2nd of March, 1974. He would have been one of the youngest. I tried to ignore the feeling of disgust rolling in my stomach at that thought. Sure, Tokiya had been… intolerable, ignorant, and an attempted murderer… but he was just a dumb kid, placed into a situation nobody should be in. I could almost forgive him for trying to kill Kotohiko.  _

 

_...Almost.  _

 

_ I exited out of Tokiya’s profile, casting a lingering look to Kotohiko’s. His photo had also been greyed-out, but I’m not sure I wanted to touch it just yet. Some wounds were just too raw to prod at, at least in my current condition.  _

 

_ I switched the Monopad off, putting it back in my pocket. Well that killed… absolutely no time at all. I might as well go back to my room and try to get some more sleep. No doubt Monokuma would introduce some new motive soon, and I’d have to be prepared for that. Besides, Koichi might worry if he finds me missing when he wakes up- _

 

**???:** You’re not planning on leaving now, are you?

 

_ I whirled around, turning to face Monokuma. He inched closer to me, dangling his legs off the log. I grabbed the edge of my cape and drew it to cover me in one swift, protective movement, tense and ready to run at any moment.  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Aww, you look like a deer caught in a beartrap! How adorable!

 

**JIN:** I- uh- why are you-?

 

**MONOKUMA:** Why am I here? Well, I woke up a lil’ early, and I wandered out to see my  _ favouritest  _ camper was out here too! What a coincidence!

 

**JIN:** Go away. I don’t- I’m heading back to my cabin.

 

_ I stood up, turning to walk towards the cabin, but felt Monokuma tugging on the back of my cape. _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] No, really, stay here. I  _ insist.  _

 

_ Nervously, I sat back down on the log. Monokuma’s grin widened, but he didn’t let go of my cape.  _

 

**JIN:** I… didn’t know  _ I  _ was your… uh.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] Favourite camper? 

 

**JIN:** ...Yeah.

 

_ Was there any way I could get rid of that title?! _

 

**MONOKUMA:** Well, ya see- while I’d love to kill all you bastards, the class trial was just so  _ exhilarating  _ with you leading the action! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] And you know what was even  _ more  _ exhilarating? That little stunt you pulled afterwards! I’ve never seen someone succumb to despair  _ that  _ quickly!

 

_ I shivered, looking away from Monokuma. I’d never wanted to leave a conversation as much as I longed to leave this one. He was just trying to rile me up, I knew that, but… _

 

**JIN:** I’m not in despair.

 

_ I wasn’t, right?! _

 

**MONOKUMA:** Mmmmm, right. You can believe that, bucko! But the sooner you give in… the sooner you can see your precious little Kotohiko again! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Belly laughing] Gwahahahahaha!

 

_ Enraged, I stood up, not caring that Monokuma’s grip on me only tightened. I balled my hands by my sides, nearly shaking with anger. _

 

**JIN:** Don’t talk about him like that.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Ah, Jin! There you go, forgetting your manners! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** Funny thing is, I don’t have to listen to you! What are you gonna do about it, huh? Unless you really  _ would  _ like an express ticket to hell, you can’t do squat!

 

_ I slumped in defeat, my hands unclenching. He was right. If I attacked him, or did anything to annoy him, it would be too easy for him to just… kill me. And even though I knew I deserved it, even though I probably even  _ **_wanted_ ** _ it, I couldn’t do it. I had a promise… one that, come to think of it, Monokuma must have overheard. Ugh! All of this was to just rub salt in my wounds… _

 

**JIN:** ...I think I’m done with this conversation, Monokuma.

 

**MONOKUMA:** Mmm… not yet! I haven’t even gotten to the important bits yet! I didn’t just come here to shoot the shit, y’know!

 

**JIN:** Then get it over with.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; staring at ground] You really  _ do  _ hate me, huh…

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Goodie! There’s no better emotion than hate, so keep that burning up inside you, buddy-boy!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] And well, as for the news of the day- we’re all moving out! Travelling to greener pastures! Or, well, not  _ greener _ , and certainly not  _ pastures _ , but it’s still exciting, dontcha think?

 

**JIN:** What?

 

**MONOKUMA:** You didn’t think that this was the  _ only  _ biodome, didja? I gotta spice things up a bit! You have until lunchtime to pack your shit and get outta your cabin! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; covering mouth with paws] And I think you’ll love this change of scenery  _ beary  _ much! I mean, Tokiya’s body is still clogging up that old fan, so I can hardly  _ keep  _ you here! It ruins the atmosphere!

 

**JIN:** Wait, you didn’t clean it out?!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; staring at ground] It was all mushy, Jin… mushy corpses are so gross! Ewie ewie ewie! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] I’m not gonna get my paws dirty cleaning out the body of a casanova has-been, no siree! 

 

_ Tokiya’s body was still clogging the fan, huh?  _

 

_...Yeah, I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. _

 

**JIN:** ...I better go pack up.

 

_ I turned to leave, only to have Monokuma yank on the side of my cape. I yelped, stumbling backwards, and nearly falling down on my ass.  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** One last thing! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] I’m going to be having a little auction an hour before noon. Tell your friends! There are plenty of prizes up for grabs! 

 

_ An… auction? I couldn’t possibly fathom whatever the hell he was talking about. An auction for what? Was this the next motive? Whatever it was, it was guaranteed to be horrible. Still, I could hardly say that to Monokuma’s face, or else he’d probably cut off my hand…  _

 

**JIN:** ...Sure. I’ll tell them. 

 

**MONOKUMA:** Goodie! 

 

_ And with that, Monokuma finally let go of my cape, turning to waddle into the forest with all the grace of a toddler learning to walk. I heaved a sigh of relief, adjusting the fit of the cape around my neck. The scratchy fabric caught against my bandages, causing me to wince. I needed to change them… one of them had already bled through, crusty brown staining the palm. The other was fine, but the wound could do with some disinfecting. I didn’t want it to scar.  _

 

_ I entered the cabin again, heading back over to Koichi’s wardrobe. Not sparing a glance at the clothes, I tugged the first aid kit out, grabbing a bottle of antiseptic and a roll of gauze. I set the gauze down on the bed, using my teeth to tug the bandage off my left hand. The thin strip of raw flesh stung once exposed to the air, causing my teeth to clench around the bandage.  _

 

_ I spat it out, letting the bloody strips of gauze fall to the ground. Sitting down on the edge of Koichi’s bed, I uncapped the disinfectant with my thumb, before letting a few drops fall down onto my injured palm. I hissed, the liquid feeling like acid on my palm. A sudden flash of memory sprung out at that comparison, but as soon as it appeared I squashed it down. That was one sight I never wanted to remember again.  _

 

_ Doing the same with my right hand was a bit trickier, but the wound was more healed over and hardly hurt to be disinfected. Takaaki hadn’t pressed it against the skin for too long, and the circular burn had already started to fade back into my skin.  _

 

_ With my hands disinfected, I set to re-wrapping them in the fresh gauze. Flexing my fingers out, I admired my hard work. Two perfectly wrapped hands, looking like something out of a sketchy boxing film. At least if I needed to punch anyone, my knuckles would be well-protected.  _

 

_ Once again, I pulled out my Monopad, glancing up at the time. Five fifty three. Monokuma’s stupid conversation had taken up more time than I’d thought. Either that, or I was just spectacularly bad at patching myself up in a time-sensitive way.  _

 

_ Maybe I should wake up Koichi. I didn’t want to disrupt his sleep cycle, after all, and he’d been waking up pretty early these past few days. Besides, I needed some company.  _

 

_ I crept over to where Koichi was sleeping, taking a moment to gaze at him. He’d stopped shivering- that was good. Instead, the only indicator he was still alive was the gentle rise and fall of his chest. He almost looked too peaceful to wake up. _

 

**JIN:** Hey, Koichi. Wake up.

 

_...But not peaceful enough.  _

 

_ I placed a hand down on Koichi’s shoulder, shaking him with impatience. He shot up, looking around wildly, before catching my eyes and laughing. His hair was tousled, falling over his face in uneven locks, and I noticed that his bandages had not bled through. Maybe I was better at cutting than he was… or, more likely, he was just better at first aid.  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Grinning; eyes closed] Jin! Good morning!

 

**JIN:** Good morning. Sorry for waking you up, it’s uh… it’s six. I thought you liked to wake up early, so-

 

**KOICHI:** Ah, thank you! 

 

_ I pulled my hand away from Koichi, but he clasped it in his hands, looking over it with curious eyes.  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Concentrating; one eye squeezed shut] ...Looking good! You changed the bandage?

 

**JIN:** Yeah. It bled through.

 

**KOICHI:** Ah, sorry, I probably should have cleaned your wound out before you bandaged it… or not cut so deep. 

 

**JIN:** It’s fine.

 

**KOICHI:** Well, if you say so…

 

_ Koichi let go of my hand, and I pulled it back to my side. He stretched, clambering out of bed and heading towards his open wardrobe.  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Mischievous; winking] I hope you weren’t snooping around my underwear, Jin! 

 

**JIN:** I wasn’t. 

 

**KOICHI:** Mmm-hmm! That’s what you say!~

 

_ Koichi seemed in… surprisingly good spirits. He grabbed a clean change of clothes out of the wardrobe, throwing them over his shoulder and heading to the bathroom. He stopped a foot in front of it, frowning, and glanced down at his torso.  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Uncomfortable; picking at shirt] Ugh… I shouldn’t have… 

 

**JIN:** Shouldn’t have what?

 

_ Koichi jumped, evidently startled. I don’t think he realised I could hear him muttering under his breath.  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Panicked; clutching shoulders] N-nothing! Don’t worry about it!

 

_ And with that, he stepped into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.  _

 

_ I sighed, leaning back on my bed. It was good that Monokuma was making us move, actually- with my ruined bedsheets, it would be troublesome having to sleep here for long. Speaking of… I should probably get packing. Monokuma never indicated that he’d be transferring our clothes out with us, so I’ll probably have to bring them all over there by hand. If only there was a bag I could put them in… _

 

_ Glancing down at the ripped bedsheets, still bundled on the ground, a vague idea crossed my mind. I picked it up, laying it out on my bed, before shuffling over to my wardrobe and pulling out an armful of clothes. Dumping them unceremoniously in the centre of the sheet, I was able to tie it in a way that vaguely resembled a bag. I should probably get Koichi’s help with the knots, so it didn’t collapse when I tried to pick it up, but it was still a solid idea.  _

 

_ Moments later, Koichi emerged from the bathroom, a bemused expression on his face as he glanced to the blanket bag. _

 

**KOICHI:** [Awkward; half smiling] Uh… what’s that for, Jin? Planning on running away to join the circus?

 

**JIN:** Monokuma says we have to move out into another biodome today, so I’m packing. You should probably do the same thing.

 

**KOICHI:** Well, that’s weird… 

 

**JIN:** What  _ isn’t  _ weird.

 

**KOICHI:** ...I take your point. 

 

_ Koichi marched over to his wardrobe, tugging out his clothes and performing the same trick I’d done with mine, although his bed sheet bundle looked significantly more stable than mine. Koichi went back to the wardrobe, fishing out the first aid kid and placing it next to the bundle.  _

 

_ I turned back to my Monopad, begging for time to have passed. Despite myself, a gnawing pang of hunger had started rising in my stomach, and I wouldn’t be able to keep my head straight if I didn’t get some food soon. _

 

_...What the hell? It’s already 6:45?!  _

 

_ Okay, there had to be something strange going on with the clocks here. There was no way I was slow enough at packing that forty-five minutes had already passed. Maybe Monokuma really was messing with the day/night cycles… that was a bit worrying. It would be harder for all of us to adjust back to normal life if we grew too accustomed to this.  _

 

_ If we ever got back to normal life, that is.  _

 

**JIN:** The morning announcement is about to go off- do you want to head down to the mess hall? 

 

**KOICHI:** [Saluting] I would love to! 

 

_ Koichi grinned, linking his arm with mine, and tugging me out of the door. Startled, I followed behind without pulling my arm away. Koichi marched out into the morning dew, heading straight towards the mess hall entrance, and collapsed down to the ground beside it. Finding my arm still linked with him, I was forced to sit down as well, even if the damp grass seeped through the back of my pants.  _

 

_ I grabbed a handful of grass, tearing it out of the ground and analysing the blades. There really wasn’t much else to do but talk to Koichi, and all potential conversation starters had vacated my mind as soon as we both sat down. I took some time to self-reflect, a habit I should really have never gotten into.  _

 

_ I didn’t dwell on the dead students this time, instead just thinking about my more recent mistakes. Like making that blood oath with Koichi. God, what was I thinking, really? What if he got hurt because of me? I didn’t want anymore blood on my hands. _

 

_ At least metaphorically speaking, although my cut healing up would be a good thing too.  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** Goooood morning, everyone!

 

**MONOKUMA:** It is now 7am, and night-time is officially over! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** Time to rise and shine! Get really to greet another beee-yutiful day!

 

_ The morning announcement sounded through the air, and I stood, quickly pulling the door to the mess hall open, and climbing down the ladder. Hana wasn’t awake yet, or at least she wasn’t here, so I’d have to deal with just grabbing some fruit out of the kitchen.  _

 

_ Luckily, the kitchen was still well-stocked. Apparently, Monokuma hadn’t transferred the supplies over just yet. I managed to grab an apple, leaning against the side of a counter and taking a bite out of it.  _

 

_ Koichi joined me, grabbing some cereal out of the pantry, as well as a bowl. Good choice for breakfast- better than what I was eating, anyway. Steadily, a couple early-wakers climbed down to join us, exchanging small pleasantries on their way to grab their food. One of which was Hana, who frowned at me, and offered to cook me something nicer to eat.  _

 

_ I accepted, dropping the core of my apple in the trash and taking my seat at the table. What better place would there be for a class-wide announcement? Assuming everyone else chose to eat breakfast today, that is…  _

 

_ Half an hour passed, spent watching the class slowly filter in, and playing with the hem of my cape. A thread had come free, and I couldn’t stop myself from unraveling it. To my great surprise, it seemed like everyone had chosen to attend breakfast today. Some of them looked like they hadn’t slept, and others, well… _

 

**MAIKU:** [Wailing; rubbing tears from eyes] Oh, the tragedy! Oh, what a horrid night! I shan't ever sleep again, no, I shan't! 

 

**MINON:** [Grumpy; tugging on hair] Lucky me. 

 

**MAIKU:** Miss Minon, please, lend your sympathy! What treachery, what- what absolute tragedy! Oh, I weep for it! I weep for you all!   
  


_ Maiku laid down on the table, still sobbing, an elegant hand draped over his forehead. It was then that I noticed he was wearing a new yukata- this one fashioned in light blue, with sunny clouds embroidered into it.  _

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; arms crossed] Can you ‘weep for us all’ somewhere else? Like, maybe, off the fuckin’ table?

 

**MAIKU:** Where else am I to drape myself, Sir Takaaki?

 

_ Takaaki stood up, shoving Maiku off the table and onto the floor. He squeaked in surprise, falling down in a blur of sky blue.  _

 

**TAKAAKI:** There.

 

_ Sadamu growled at Takaaki, but said nothing, kneeling down to pick Maiku off of the floor. The room fell into silence, only the clinking of cutlery breaking through the heavy atmosphere. I shuffled uncomfortably in my seat, already feeling my earlier confidence wearing off. Had it even really been confidence in the first place? _

 

_ Hana flitted between the tables, dishing out bowls of what looked to be oatmeal, of some sort. She looked entirely exhausted, deep bags forming under her closed eyes. I accepted the bowl with a small word of thanks, before digging in unenthusiastically. It tasted okay. Not good, not bad, just okay. I could already tell that Shizuya wasn’t going to bother eating hers.  _

 

_ I pushed my spoon around the oatmeal, sighing. Koichi, who had sat down next to me, placed a comforting hand on my arm. Gritting my teeth, I took another spoon. I wasn’t hungry, and I didn’t want to eat this, but I had to. For Koichi. For my promise.  _

 

_ I was shocked out of my internal pitfall by the sound of someone slamming their hand into the table. I looked up, locking eyes with Ruka, who was standing next to an equally fired-up Isana.  _

 

**RUKA:** [Confident; hands on hips] Alright, everyone! I have an announcement to make!

 

**ISANA:** [Proud; flexing bicep] We  _ both  _ have an announcement to make!

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] Oh, what for? Have you both decided to devote yourselves to reshaping your, frankly,  _ horrid  _ personalities? Because that would be the good news I need right now.

 

**ISANA:** [Nervous; biting lower lip] Uh… not exactly…

 

**RUKA:** Oh, get off your high horse, Shizuya. 

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed]  _ What  _ did you just say to me?

 

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] I told you to get off your high horse, and listen!

 

**SHIZUYA:** Why, I-

 

**RUKA:** Me and Isana have something  _ important  _ to say, and considering the most important thing  _ you’ve  _ done so far is be a murder suspect, you’re hardly one to lecture us.

 

**RUKA:** [Regaining composure] Anyway, where was I…

 

**ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] The plan, Ru-Ru! 

 

**RUKA:** [Confident; hands on hips] Ah, right! The plan!

 

**RUKA:** Well, me and Isana were talking last night, after the trial. We both felt pretty horrible, as you could probably guess…  _ but,  _ we decided that we wouldn’t let anyone else feel horrible about it!

 

**ISANA:** So, I was like: “Uh, Ru-Ru? We can’t really, like, stop people from being all sad and stuff!”! And Ru-Ru was like: “Yeah, but we can toes make everyone feel a lot better and, like, work together forever!”

 

**RUKA:** Me and Isana have taken up the mantle of team captains. Before anyone objects- we’re not going to be exercising any undue power! Just planning group events to heighten a sense of camaraderie!

 

**ISANA:** And have a  _ totally  _ fun time doing it!

 

_ Isana and Ruka struck a pose, arms around each others’ shoulders. Due to the large height difference, they looked completely ridiculous. I almost started laughing. _

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Annoyed; eyebrows furrowed] Oh, like that’s going to be helpful at all.

 

_ Takaaki had risen from his seat, sneering at Ruka.  _

 

**TAKAAKI:** Sorry, Ruka, but it just  _ isn’t.  _ We don’t need fun and games now, we need a way out of this fucking killing game!

 

**ISANA:** [Hand held out in “halt” gesture] Hey! Don’t talk to Ru-Ru like that!

 

**TAKAAKI:** Oh, fuck off. If anyone can tell me how to get out of this  _ fucking  _ biodome, then-

 

**JIN:** Well, actually…

 

_ I stood up too, turning to face Takaaki. Taking a deep breath, I straightened my posture, glaring at him. _

 

**JIN:** Monokuma says he’s moving us from this biodome to another one. I’m not sure, but I think there may be more ways to escape from there. If we work together, then surely-

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Sadistic smile; leaning forward] Oh, hey Kirigiri. Didn’t know you were still in there.

 

**JIN:** Huh?

 

**TAKAAKI:** I mean, you really were such a mess after your little  _ boy toy  _ died last night. Hell, I’m surprised you didn’t try to off yourself!

 

_ Instinctively, I choked on my breath, placing a hand protectively over my throat. Takaaki noticed this, and barked out a harsh laugh. _

 

**TAKAAKI:** Oh my god, you actually  _ did!  _ That’s rich. 

 

**RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] Taka-

 

**TAKAAKI:** What, couldn’t cope with the fact that your loverboy’d killed someone, eh?

 

_ I took a step back. Everything felt like it was closing up on me, like I was being crushed to death by everyone’s stares. Oh god. _

 

**TAKAAKI:** You should have expected it, Kirigiri. You can’t get close to anyone here. They’ll play you like a fucking fiddle.

 

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles]  _ Ishimaru!  _

 

_ Takaaki was advancing on me now, nearly backing me into a wall. I shook with nerves, trying to find an escape route. God, was he going to kill me? Was I going to die? _

 

**TAKAAKI:** So remember, you-

 

_ Takaaki never got to finish his sentence. A hand gripped his shoulder, and he whirled around- only to receive a strong right hook directly to the nose. He crumpled like a stack of cards, and Ruka stood in his place, a few specks of blood dotting her fist.  _

 

**RUKA:** [Seething; hand curled into fist] I don’t know who the  _ hell  _ you think you are, Takaaki Ishimaru. But you’re not the friend I grew up with. Not anymore.

 

**RUKA:** You don’t get to push everyone around here. You don’t have that fuckin’ privledge. You’re just like the rest of us, and you better start fuckin’ acting like it. 

 

**RUKA:** When you decide to  _ grow the fuck up _ , you can talk to me again. But first, apologise to Jin, because the only person who deserves to hear what you just told him is your own damn self. 

 

**JIN:** R-ruka, I-I’m, I’m okay, I don’t-

 

_ Ruka turned her gaze to me, and her eyes instantly softened. She stepped over Takaaki, walking over to me and hugging me tight. I froze up, and she pulled away, settling for a hand placed on my shoulder. _

 

**RUKA:** [Apologetic; averting gaze] Jin… I’m so sorry that you keep going through this… this bullshit. You don’t deserve it, and if you ever need any help, you can talk to me… or Isana.

 

_ Isana lit up at the mention of her name, grinning brightly at me and giving me a thumbs-up.  _

 

**RUKA:** Some people just don’t understand empathy anymore. Some people just aren’t worth listening to. 

 

**JIN:** I… thank you, Ruka.

 

**RUKA:** You don’t need to thank me! But, what you  _ do  _ need to do, is tell us all about Monokuma’s announcement. I, for one, am interested in knowing where we’re meant to be going.

 

**JIN:** Well, I don’t entirely know that yet. Just that he’s moving us to a new biodome, and we need to start packing up our stuff. 

 

_ Ruka nodded at me, and then turned to the rest of the group. _

 

**RUKA:** [Confident; hands on hips] You hear that, everyone? We need to pack up our belongings! Monokuma’s transporting us to a new biodome today! 

 

_ Everyone seemed to stare back at her in shocked silence. A beat passed, and then Sadamu started applauding, Maiku and Isana swiftly joining in. Ruka stifled a laugh and curtseyed, and I swore I could hear Takaaki grumble various curses under his breath.  _

 

**MAIKU:** [Applauding] Ah-hah! Good show, Miss Ruka!

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on sleeve] Ah, however, I believe I require some assistance in moving… you see, Monokuma, as… ugh,  _ generous  _ as he is, didn’t actually give me any… clothes.

 

**HIROKO:** [Sarcastic; both eyebrows raised] Uh… dude, you’re clearly  _ wearing  _ clothes. Believe me, I’m sure Sadamu would have a much better view if ya weren’t.

 

**SADAMU:** [Blushing; covering mouth with hands] Urk-!

 

**MAIKU:** [Interested; head tilted] Huh? I don’t know what you mean by that, Miss Hiroko… I’m afraid to say I’m a tad lost!

 

**HIROKO:** [Smirking; eyebrow raised] Well, y’see-

 

**SADAMU:** [Frantic; making cross with arms] …!

 

**HIROKO:** ...Eh, you’ll figure it out eventually.

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on sleeve] Ah, I see… but, to help alleviate  _ your  _ confusion… Monokuma provided me with bolts of fabric and a sewing kit. I have to make my own clothes, apparently! 

 

**MAIKU:** It’s quite a fine collection of materials, though… it’s nice to be able to hone my craft in here! I’m just worried about how I’m meant to actually  _ transport  _ them… they’re quite heavy!

 

**SADAMU:** [Regaining composure] I can help you transport them, Sir Maiku. Do not worry. But first, I believe I have to have a… how do I put this…  _ conversation  _ with Miss Hiroko here. 

 

**MAIKU:** [Giggling; blushing faintly] Ah, of course! I’ll hurry off and prepare them for transportation, Sir Sadamu!

 

**MAIKU:** You’re so dependable… why, if I was a princess like my Juliet, I’m sure you’d be my knight! 

 

**SADAMU:** [Smiling warmly] It’s the least I can do, Sir Maiku. 

 

_ Maiku nodded at Sadamu, and then scampered off up the ladder, presumably running back to his cabin. Sadamu sighed, before fixing Hiroko with an unamused stare.  _

 

**SADAMU:** [Deadpan stare] I would appreciate it if you would stop being so crass. This is the  _ second  _ time I’ve been accused of- and in only a week!

 

**HIROKO:** [Bored; resting chin on hand] It’s just a lil’ teasing, big guy. Didn’t mean anything by it.

 

**SADAMU:** Well maybe you should consider that what seems like  _ teasing  _ to you isn’t the same to everyone else.

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] Ugh, I hate to say this, but the brute is correct. The larger brute, anyway.

 

**SHIZUYA:** I thought when Souda died that would be the end of all this crude talk, but it seems like you can’t get enough of it!

 

**HANA:** [Shocked; eyes blown wide] Sh-Shizuya! How can you say that!

 

**SHIZUYA:** Oh, shut up, you mediocre kitchen wench.

 

**HANA:** M-mediocre?!

 

**MINON:** [Sarcastic; eyebrow raised] ... _ That’s  _ the part that insults you?

 

**SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] Shizuya, forgive me for saying this, but I do not need your agreement, and I certainly do not need you insulting our classmates.

 

**SADAMU:** _ Même si ça semble être le seul usage de ta bouche stupide. _

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] You know, Yasuhiro, I think you might be  _ insulting  _ me behind all that French.

 

**SADAMU:** Me? Insult a woman? Never. I am not that sort of man. 

 

**SHIZUYA:** Hmph. You’re not tricking anyone, Yasuhiro. 

 

_ Their bickering faded into the background as I tried to fully compose myself. Ruka standing up for me had been nice of her, but still entirely embarrassing. I couldn’t keep acting so useless…  _

 

_ God, I’d even forgotten to tell them about the auction. The morning meeting went by so fast, and the whole mess with Takaaki had pretty much blown my comprehension out of the water. But I still couldn’t just blame him. I needed to be better than that.  _

 

_ It seemed like everyone had just accepted Ruka as their leader, at least for now, and especially after her confrontation with Takaaki. I hurried over to her, placing a hand on her arm to get her attention.  _

 

**RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] Hmm? What is it, Jin?

 

**JIN:** I… that’s not the only thing Monokuma told me about. He also-

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing up arms] Bzzzt! Too late!

 

_ Monokuma had appeared out of nowhere, shoving himself between Ruka and I. A shocked gasp rippled through the crowd, as Monokuma waddled up to the table, shoving off the cutlery and taking his place on top of it. _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; looking down at floor] I guess this is what I get when I trust third parties to deliver my information… a whole morning, and Jin was too busy waddling in despair to deliver my whole message…

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] And what brilliant despair it was! Ah, Jin, you’re a man after my own heart!

 

**JIN:** You’re disgusting. 

 

**MONOKUMA:** That’s what I like to hear!

 

**JIN:** Just... tell them about the auction already.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] No, no, no, no, no! You failed at your presentation, so don’t interrupt mine!

 

**MONOKUMA:** I’m trying to build tension here, bucko!

 

**MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] Heh… you might as well just spit it out… he already ruined your surprise…

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; staring at floor] I swear, none of you bastards have any flair for the dramatic…

 

**HIROKO:** [Enraged; raising fist] Oh, I’ll show you  _ dramatic _ when I beat your fucking-

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Nervous sweating] V-violence against the gamemaster is strictly prohibited!

 

**HIROKO:** [Pissed off; middle finger raised] Tch… you’re just lucky I don’t have a death wish.

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Sadistic smile; leaning forwards] Unlike  _ someone  _ h- OW, FUCK!

 

_ Judging by the quick movement of Ruka’s foot, it looked like she’d just stomped it directly on top of one of Takaaki’s.  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] Anyway, anyway!~ Let’s get to the good stuff!

 

**MONOKUMA:** As your good friend Jin has just told you, we’re moving on out! Pack your shit, coz’ I’m not moving all that for ya! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** But what about the shit we  _ can’t  _ move, I hear you asking? 

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Blank stare] Nobody’s asking that.

 

**MONOKUMA:** Hmm? What was that? I think we just found the world’s first talking fly!

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Offended; hunched over] Y-you can’t call me a fly!  _ I-I  _ call people flies!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] I guess it takes one to know one! 

 

**SHIZUYA:** Ghk-!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side]  _ Anyway _ , schmucks, I’m talking about the dead guys’ stuff! It’s not like they’re _ here  _ to come collect, are they?!

 

**MONOKUMA:** So, I’ve decided to auction off their goodies! Not for money, no, this is just a first-come-first-serve deal. Everything! Must! Go!

 

**TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] Th-there’s no way w-we’re going t-to be able to transport a-all our b-belongings as  _ well  _ as th-their junk…

**MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Hmm… true, true. How about… everything you freaks don’t rescue, I’m burning! One last big bonfire to wish this sorry dome goodbye!

 

**HIROKO:** Hey, asshole! Some of that shit you’d have to burn  _ can’t  _ be good for the environment!

 

**MINON:** [Sarcastic; eyebrow raised] ...Since when did  _ you _ care about… the environment…?

 

**HIROKO:** Hey, I can be a badass and still think green.

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Cheeky; tongue out] You said it, sister!

 

**ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] Hiroko! That’s really mature of you! Like, good job!

 

**HIROKO:** [Embarrassed; tugging up mask] Heh… it’s nothing… I just don’t wanna live in one of those apocalypse futures, y’know?

 

**RUKA:** [Raising questioning eyebrow] What a…  _ unique  _ motive for your environmentalism.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Pissed; neutral position] Nghnnn… who  _ cares  _ about the environment! We’re in space!

 

**KOICHI:** [Mischievous; winking] Snnk- are you saying that… “In space, no one can still be green”?

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Confused; head cocked] Uh,  _ yeah _ , you can still be green. Martians are green!

 

**KOICHI:** [Awkward; half-smiling] Uh, no, it was a pun on Alien-

 

**HITOMIKO:** Yeah, aliens! 

 

**ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] Hmm… do aliens even exist, though? My brother  _ really  _ likes science, and he doesn’t think Martians exist…

 

**HITOMIKO:** Oh, shit, really?

 

**KOICHI:** ...I give up.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Angry; throwing arms up] Argh! I forgot how annoying you shits are! Captains of the interrupting cruise, all of you…

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] Probably because you’re insufferable…

 

**MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] ...and boring…

 

**SHIZUYA:** ...and worthless…

 

**MINON:** ...and annoying. 

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; staring at floor] Nghnn… a tag-team verbal beatdown!

 

**MONOKUMA:** ...I guess I know when I’m not wanted…

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] But if any of you losers want to hit me up for some goodies from our cadavers’ collections, gimme a holler!

 

_ And with that, Monokuma waddled away, climbing up the ladder in an almost comical fashion.  _

 

_ An auction of the dead student’s belongings, huh… I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. On one hand, I didn’t want any reminders of my failures. The lives that were lost. But the other side of me, the more sentimental side of me, couldn’t help but long for  _ **_something_ ** _ to remember Kotohiko by. I needed to carry on his memory, however I could. I owed him that much.  _

 

_ I stood up from the table, hurrying up the ladder and into the fresh air.  _

 

_ My limbs were already heavy from exhaustion, today’s early start and the commotion of breakfast taking all the energy out of me. The prospect of having to travel to an entirely new biodome, to transport all my belongings as well as whatever I managed to gather up at the auction… it was a tiring thought. I’d rather just hide under my bed sheets and stare at the wall for the rest of the day. _

 

_ The sight of Kotohiko’s cabin made my throat grow tight, and I ducked my head so I wouldn’t have to look at it. I stopped when I reached a small book, which had been haphazardly thrown on the ground, and knelt down to pick it up.  _

 

_ In faded, gold letters on the front, it read: KOTOHIKO’S DIARY- TOP SECRET! _

 

_ I felt something deep in my stomach lurch, and my hands started to shake. I snapped my gaze upwards, watching as Monokuma wandered in and out of the cabin, bunches of clothes stuffed in his short arms. He didn’t seem to have any rhyme or reason to where he was dumping them, so long as they were outside. The whole thing looked more like some version of a demented yard sale than a proper auction. _

 

_ Clutching the diary to my chest, I hurried off. I didn’t want to take part in whatever miserable auction Monokuma was planning. It hurt enough to see Kotohiko’s belongings tossed out like he was trash, without any semblance of respect. Besides, I already had what I was looking for. _

 

_ It may have been juvenile, stealing Kotohiko’s diary of all things, but it wasn’t like I was planning to read it… at least, not now. Maybe once I’d gotten a proper grip on myself. I just needed something to remind myself of him. Something to carry with me. _

 

_ I found myself wandering for the next few hours, strolling through the forest and drinking in the atmosphere. I wasn’t really able to appreciate this place, not in the short time I was here. For obvious reasons, really- it wasn’t like taking in the scenery was high on my list of priorities after being kidnapped. But it really was a nice forest- the trees were lush, with mushrooms growing up the side of them and patches of wild flowers caught between their roots.  _

 

_ And soon, I’d never get to see them again. _

 

_ It was a good tactic to disorient us, that was for sure. If we grew too comfortable in one place, we might be able to think clearly. But with each new area, we’d grow too distracted in familiarising ourselves with our surroundings, and wouldn’t be able to get any progress done on the whole escape front. Even though the possibility of us all escaping in one piece was growing slimmer and slimmer with each day. _

 

_ Still, with a new area came new possibilities. This forest seemed pretty airtight, but there was no guarantee that the next biodome would be the same. There might be more maintenance passageways, or actual vents, or  _ **_something_ ** _ that could work as an escape route. Of course, once we escaped the biodome, we’d have to deal with evading Monokuma and finding something to take us back to Earth, but it was a start. It was hope.  _

 

_ God knows we needed some hope right now. _

 

_ I leant against a tree, picking idly at my bandaged hands. Noon had to be coming soon, especially with how Monokuma seemed to be distorting the time. Maybe he was just speeding it up so we’d get out of the biodome later, who knows… the implications were still troubling, but at this point, what wasn’t? _

 

_ I sighed, heading back the way I came, back towards my cabin. My sense of direction had gotten better, wandering through these woods. It didn’t take long before I had emerged back into the main clearing, right next to Renma and Taichi’s shared cabin. I didn’t stop for long, heading straight to my own cabin. A few students milling around caught glimpse of me and gave me a couple waves, which I returned weakly.  _

 

_ My clothes were still on the bed when I stepped into my cabin, but they seemed to be tied up neater. Koichi’s work, presumably. I felt slightly uncomfortable with the knowledge that he’d been rummaging through my stuff, but still grateful at the gesture. It wasn’t like I had anything in there but clothes, anyway.  _

 

_ Slumping down onto the bed, I pulled out my Monopad to get a quick check of the time. 11:54 AM, right on schedule. I was lucky to have gotten the timing down so accurately, or else I’d be wondering around the new biodome with only one set of clothes. I could only hope that my classmates had packed up all their belongings too, or Maiku’s seamster skills would doubtlessly be in need of some use. _

 

_ I shrugged the bundle of clothes over my shoulder, closing the cabin door behind me as I left. With a small shiver, I realised that it didn’t lock. It never had. I’d been effectively defenceless my entire stay here, with only Koichi’s presence to protect me. I suppose he’d come in handy on that front anyway, but it was still worrying.  _

 

_ A harsh crackle filled the air, and I jumped slightly, nearly losing my grip on the bundle. A buzz of static followed, before Monokuma’s voice rang out through the speaker system. _

 

**MONOKUMA:** Alright, you insufferable bastards! It’s now noon! Time to haul ass over to the elevator! Chop-chop, I’m giving you ten minutes before I gut ya!

**JIN:** You’d think a government agency would have better audio…

 

_ To my surprise, I heard someone snort next to me, and a hand clasp down on my shoulder. I stiffened, turning my head to see Hiroko staring up at me with an amused smile. If it was anyone else, I may have calmed down slightly, but I’d had nothing but vaguely threatening interactions with Hiroko so far.  _

 

**HIROKO:** [Smirking; eyebrow raised] Hey, good one, kid.

 

**HIROKO:** It’s nice to see some spunk in you. 

 

**JIN:** ...Spunk?

 

**HIROKO:** Yeah. Guts, y’know? Courage. You’re a pretty cool guy, Kirigiri. 

 

**HIROKO:** [Devilish grin; winking]  _ Though _ , if you were thinking of the  _ other  _ definition-

 

**JIN:** What other definition?

 

**HIROKO:** Don’t worry your pretty little virgin head about it.

 

_ I flushed to the tips of my ears, nearly dropping my bundle again. Why did everyone keep bringing that up?! We’re in a killing game, not a high school locker room. I guess it was pretty in-character for Hiroko, though. She seemed to only have two modes: teasing, and angry. I definitely didn’t want to end up on the receiving end of either, but it looked like today was just my unlucky day. _

 

**HIROKO:** [Suddenly serious] Though… there was something I wanted to talk to you about. 

 

_ Hiroko’s grip on my tightened somewhat, and a quick glance to her face showed that she was struggling to hold in her anger. I gulped. _

 

**HIROKO:** [Struggling to keep composure] That… that  _ bastard _ … 

 

**JIN:** _ Who? _

 

_ My voice came out as a squeak. I flushed deeper at that, but Hiroko took it as a cue to loosen her grip, looking at me in with an almost pitying softness to her eyes.  _

 

**HIROKO:** [Stony-faced; sighing] ...Ishimaru. He didn’t have any right to talk to you like that today… I wish I coulda punched his lights in, instead of letting Princess do all the heavy lifting. 

 

**HIROKO:** Men like him think they run the whole damn world. Pigs like him think because they’ve got a shiny badge and a big head and their daddies pay their way through private school, it means they can start taking it out on anyone who looks weaker. 

 

**HIROKO:** [Pulling out a cigarette] I haven’t been through what you have, kid. This is just fucking  _ insane.  _ But I’ve been through enough, suffered enough because of people like Ishimaru… I can’t just let you stew in this shit.

 

**JIN:** That… actually means a lot to me, Hiroko.

 

**HIROKO:** [Lighting cigarette] Eh, don’t read into it. I gotta look out for you little punks, don’t I? 

 

**HIROKO:** You wanna have a light?

 

**JIN:** I don’t smoke. 

 

**HIROKO:** [Smirking; cigarette perched between lips] I  _ know  _ that, ya square. Might do you some good, though. People as wound up as you either need a good drink, a good therapist, a good fuck, or a good drag on a cancer stick. 

 

**JIN:** I’m fine, thank you very much. Therapy might be good though, yeah…

 

**HIROKO:** Sucks we weren’t locked in here with a psychologist or somethin’. If you ever change your mind, I still got five packs.

 

_ I smiled over at Hiroko as she slapped me on the back, before heading into her cabin to grab her stuff. Well… that could have gone a lot worse than it did. I feel like I learned something about her, just then. _

 

_ The trip to the elevator was otherwise uneventful. I spotted Maiku and Sadamu on the way, the latter absolutely laden with what seemed like dozens of fabric bolts stacked precariously on top of each other. Not wanting to accidentally startle him and risk being buried in an avalanche of fabric, I avoided the duo, speeding up my walking. Before long, the door to the elevator loomed in front of me. _

 

_ A small crowd had already gathered in front of it, and I took my place next to Koichi. He grinned at me, giving a quick two-fingered salute, making sure not to drop his own cargo. _

 

**KOICHI:** [Saluting] Hey, Jin! 

 

**JIN:** Koichi.

 

**KOICHI:** I hope you didn’t mind me retying your bag- it looked like it was going to come loose the moment you picked it up, and I didn’t want you to have to waste any time retying it, so…

 

**JIN:** Just… warn me next time you’re going through my stuff, okay? 

 

**KOICHI:** Gotcha! You don’t have to worry about it, Jin, I don’t like to creep around people’s stuff… I’m a man who respects privacy!

 

_ Was it just me, or was their some kind of… sharpness to Koichi’s voice just then? Like he was trying to hide distaste, or a sense of superiority…  _

 

_ I was probably imagining things.  _

 

**JIN:** Good. That’s… that’s good. Privacy is important.

 

**KOICHI:** [Mischievous; winking] You bet it is! I mean, the amount of times I’ve had people snooping through my cabin back at camp… Kids can be so nosey!

 

**KOICHI:** [Softly] Glad there’s no one like that here, anymore… 

 

**JIN:** What was that?

 

**KOICHI:** [Awkward; half smiling] Nothing! Just talking to myself…

 

_ I gave Koichi a weird look, but decided to drop it.  _

 

**KOICHI:** Besides… I wanted to ask you something, Jin.

 

**JIN:** Hmmm?

 

**KOICHI:** [Grinning; eyes closed] What do you think the new biodome will be like! I mean, assumedly, it’s going to be a different climate and all…

 

**JIN:** I don’t really care. 

 

_ Not unless it’s a biodome full of escape pods, anyway. _

 

**KOICHI:** Eh? Really? Not even a little bit?

 

**KOICHI:** But what if it’s like- super hot, or super cold, or something! Or flooded! I didn’t pack any swimwear…

 

**JIN:** Koichi, we’re going to find out what the new biodome looks like in literally five fucking minutes. I don’t see why we’re having this conversation.  

 

**KOICHI:** [Mischievous; winking] Looks like  _ someone  _ woke up on the wrong side of my bed this morning!

 

**JIN:** Koichi.

 

**KOICHI:** Yeah?   
  


**JIN:** Shut up.

 

_ Koichi looked vaguely hurt at this, and I felt a small pang of guilt stab through my gut. Wordlessly, I reached out to grab his hand with mine- an apology. He entwined his fingers with mine, and I shivered, trying not to squeeze his hand to death.  _

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** Ahem! Attention, attention!

 

_ I snapped my gaze over to Monokuma, who had pushed his way to the front of the crowd. He jammed his paw against the scanner, looking over at us with a sick grin as it slid open. _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Alright, you lot! First thing’s first: I know you have a lot of questions. Just try to shut yer trap for two minutes and all will be revealed!

 

**MONOKUMA:** Simple thing is: As much as I like gore and guts and glory, I  _ really  _ don’t want to scrape Tokiya smoothie off of a fan for twelve hours straight. Sorry, kiddos, but the crew of this little ship is  _ very  _ limited! No janitors as far as the eye can see, and even then some. 

 

**MONOKUMA:** So, we’re moving on out! Hope you didn’t get too comfy in this pretty little jail cell!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] And I  _ do  _ hope you got everything you needed from your cabins! I’m not coming back here to get your dirty laundry, upu.

 

_ Taichi scowled at him behind his armfulls of… machinery? Whatever it was, it looked very complicated, and had wires coming out of it every which way. He didn’t appear to have taken any clothes. _

 

 **JIN:** [Whispering] Uh… Taichi? Are you going to be alright?

 

_ Taichi turned to look at me, confusion written on his features. _

 

**TAICHI:** [Staring through armfuls of machinery] ...Why w-wouldn’t I be?

 

**JIN:** You didn’t bring any clothes.

 

**TAICHI:** Why the h-hell would I need extra clothes? I-I’m already wearing c-clothes!

 

_ Okay, that’s disgusting. _

 

**JIN:** ...Forget I mentioned it. 

 

_ Without another word, Monokuma waddled into the elevator, stopping to beckon us forward with his paw. Reluctantly, I squeezed Koichi’s hand tighter, and stepped into the elevator. We got squashed in a corner, Sadamu’s laden arms meaning that Maiku had to actually stand on his own this time. It was just as packed as it had been before we went into the first trial, and I couldn’t stop a shiver from running up my spine at that memory.  _

 

_ The elevator surged to life, but it seemed like it was taking a slightly different route. Instead of going straight towards the trial room, it seemed to lurch oddly and move sideways. I was pressed into the side of the wall from the sudden impact, with Koichi stumbling into my side. Were we going on a different track? Could elevators just  _ **_do_ ** _ that?! _

 

_ The travel time seemed to be significantly longer as well, and I started to grow antsy. I was two minutes away from tearing my hand away from Koichi’s and starting to pick at my cape again when the doors slid open, and I was blinded by a dazzling burst of white. _

 

_...It was like we’d just stepped into a winter wonderland. _

 

_ I headed out of the elevator, following the crowd as we walked. It was so silent you could have heard a pin drop. I think we were all in awe… or, well, I certainly was. I’d seen snow before, but it was always the awful slushy kind that clogged the streets during rush hour. I’d never seen anything like  _ **_this_ ** _.  _

 

_ Small, pure white snowflakes danced through the air, falling down lightly onto us. The air was crisp and burnt slightly to inhale, cold enough to send a shock straight through my system. Conifer trees surrounded us, their needles laden with clumps of the soft snow. I felt my cheeks start to burn as I stood there, gazing upwards and letting my face become wet with melted snowflakes.  _

 

_ The sky was clouded over, but these clouds were as white as the rest of the area, not stormy grey like yesterday’s had been. I heard myself gasp, turning back to the group and watching them move around with a similar sense of wonder.  _

 

_ It was… it was absolutely beautiful. Like something out of a postcard.  _

 

**HIROKO:** [Awestruck; eyes sparkling] ...Holy shit!

 

_ Hiroko took a running leap into a large pile of snow, yelping with excitement. It was then that the spell broke, and everyone let out various exclamations of joy. It was hard not to join in on the celebrations- despite the fact that we were still stuck in a horrific murder game, the scenery was nothing short of spectacular. The only people who seemed to share my apprehension were the usual cynics- Shizuya, Minon, Taichi, and Takaaki, who had headed over to a spruce tree and were giving the rest of us odd looks.  _

 

_ Koichi tugged at my hand, pulling me towards a small rock path, a wide smile on his face. _

 

**KOICHI:** [Grinning; eyes closed] Jin, come on! Let’s explore!

 

**JIN:** Woah, w-wait, Koichi, slow down!

 

_ I almost tripped over a few rocks as I struggled to keep up with Koichi, but I couldn’t stop an excited grin from appearing on my face to match his. No matter how twisted the context, it was still so refreshing to explore somewhere new. It made me feel free.  _

 

_ The path led through the trees and out of the forest, opening up into a spacious, hilly area. I could see the outline of mountains in the distance, although I wasn’t sure if they were real or just projections on the side of the wall. To our left seemed to be a large lake, completely frozen over. To our right were hills that looked perfect for sledding or skiing, and a small shed that presumably held supplies for just that.  _

 

_ But what was really breathtaking was the sight directly in front of us. Instead of having a wide open area with several cabins, it looked like the living area of this biodome had been condensed into a sprawling, almost mansion-sized log cabin. It looked cheery and festive, and seemed to glow with a comforting sort of warmth.  _

 

_ Koichi tugged insistently on my hand, leading me down towards the cabin. It definitely looked big enough to hold all of us, and even then some. The front door swung open with the jingle of a bell, and we stepped into a lobby-like interior. The floor was carpeted in deep red, and a Christmas Tree was tucked away in a corner. A few couches could be seen, clustered around a large stone fireplace that had been built into the back wall.  _

 

_ It definitely felt a lot warmer in here, and I tugged my hand away from Koichi’s in order to wipe the melted snow off of my chilled face.  _

 

**KOICHI:** [In awe; gazing upward] Woah… Jin, look! This place even has a chandelier! 

 

**KOICHI:** Jeez, I’ve never been in a cabin this fancy…

 

**JIN:** I don’t think this could even be called a “cabin” anymore, Koichi… it’s more like a mansion. Or a hotel.

 

**KOICHI:** Well, yeah, but it’s still built like a log cabin, right? Ergo, it’s a cabin. Just a really big one.

 

**JIN:** Well, you’re the boy scout. You should know. 

 

_ I’m more interested in exploring the rest of this place then arguing over it, anyway.  _

 

_ I walked towards the fireplace, dumping down my bundle of stuff and warming my hands in front of it for a few seconds. Logs were piled up near it, as well as an axe and several fire pokers. They certainly seemed dangerous… most likely planted as potential murder weapons. We’d have to lock them up somewhere. I shoved my hands back into my pockets, turning my attention to the bookshelves lining the walls. _

 

_ Hey, this was strange… _

 

**JIN:** ...All the books are written in English.

 

**KOICHI:** [Hesitant; biting finger] Well, that’s weird. Anything strange about the books themselves, or…?

 

**KOICHI:** [Pointing to badge] I know basic English from a camp course, but nothing too impressive!

 

**JIN:** No, nothing weird… There are a lot of horror books, though.

 

_ I recognised some of the titles, most of them from authors like Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft. Maybe I could take a few and read them later- they were good enough books, even despite their macabre content.  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Awkward; half-smiling] Eh, that’s a bit ominous… maybe Monokuma’s trying to give us suggestions?

 

**JIN:** Unless his suggestion is for us to dress up as clowns or set rabid dogs loose in the biodome, I don’t think so. A lot of these books seem to have a supernatural element to them… not many realistic murder stories.

 

**JIN:** ...Of course, even books entirely about murder mysteries get a lot of things wrong about the actual process.

 

**KOICHI:** I suppose you’d know a lot about that!

 

**JIN:** Yeah. Wish I didn’t.

 

**KOICHI:** [Incredibly awkward; wincing] Ah… Yeah, I suppose you wouldn’t…

 

**JIN:** I mean. Not just because of… yesterday. I just don’t- I’m not a huge fan of my talent, and-

 

**KOICHI:** No, no, I get it! I, um-

 

**JIN:** And it’s, uh, a bit of a touchy subject that I don’t want to get into but-

 

**KOICHI:** Completely understandable!

 

**JIN:** So… yeah. 

 

**KOICHI:** Yeah.

 

_ I cleared my throat, shuffling away from the bookshelves. I’d have to remember to come back here later. Koichi adjusted the hem of his shirt slightly, not meeting my eyes. Conversation between us didn’t come as easily as… Well. I supposed I’d just have to work on that.  _

 

**JIN:** So, uh. The other rooms. Which should we explore first? I mean, this seems to be a living area, but this place is massive, so there are probably more…

 

_ There might even be an entire library. Hopefully there’d be more variety to the books there. _

 

**KOICHI:** Ah… you want me to choose?

 

**KOICHI:** [Saluting] Well then! Follow my lead! I think I spied the entrance to a dining room somewhere around here…

 

_ Koichi reached out to grab the edge of my cape, tugging me towards an archway with intricate floral detailing etched into its wooden rim. Behind it, a huge room was laid out, with a long central table taking up most of the space. A grand piano was tucked away into one corner, raised slightly as if it were on a stage. Plush seats that looked like they’d been pulled straight out of a castle ballroom lined the table, their deep red upholstery matching the velvet tablecloth that had been laid out. _

 

_ Another chandelier hung from the ceiling, the crystals bright and twinkling, sending down strange refractions across the walls. A small door was tucked away in the corner opposite the piano, and if I squinted I could make out a knife and fork embossed into it. That must be the entrance to the kitchen… if the dining room was this impressive, I couldn’t imagine how perfect the kitchen would be. Hana’s going to love it here… _

 

_ The only thing out of place was a large, sleek monitor, that had been mounted at the far end of the room. It almost resembled the monitors found in the trial room… so why would one be here? That was a bit worrying…  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Mischievous; winking] Hey, this is a hell of an upgrade from the mess hall, isn’t it?

 

**KOICHI:** I  _ am  _ gonna miss climbing that ladder though… it’s rare you get a place you can exercise  _ and  _ eat in!

 

**JIN:** Not like climbing a ladder is really much exercise. 

 

**KOICHI:** Hey, for someone as boney as you, that’s gotta be the highlight of your athletic career!

 

_ I rubbed my arms, feeling them up. They really were boney… which was to expected. I knew I was underweight. Koichi was right, I probably should exercise more… and eat. Ugh.  _

 

**JIN:** ...I do a lot of walking.

 

**KOICHI:** [Grinning; eyes closed] Well, that’s certainly a start! 

 

**KOICHI:** [Pointing to badge] Maybe you should try hiking! I saw a few mountains on the way in here… it’s really quite fun, honest! We can be hiking buddies, Jin! 

 

**JIN:** I’m not entirely sure those mountains weren’t just projections… you remember the forest? It really wasn’t as big as it looked… that was just an optical illusion from the dome.

 

**KOICHI:** [Awkward; half-smiling] Hmm… I see...

 

**KOICHI:** [Grinning; eyes closed] Oh, well! The  _ hills  _ are certainly real. And hiking on them is almost as fun as hiking on mountains!

 

**JIN:** But isn’t it essentially just… walking, then?

 

**KOICHI:** On an incline! Which must mean something, right?

 

**JIN:** Yeah. Means I’m going to be more tired.

 

**KOICHI:** And more healthy!

 

**JIN:** That too. But I think we should finish exploring this area before we try tackling any hills, alright?

 

**KOICHI:** Gotcha. 

 

_ I turned away from the arch, gazing over my shoulder and across the first room. The rest of the class was undoubtedly going to come in soon, and I didn’t want to be here when they did. I’d probably get swept up in all the excitement, and wouldn’t be able to map everything out effectively… _

 

**JIN:** Koichi, do you mind if we just sweep the rest of the mansion quickly, before we tackle any in-depth investigation? I mean… all that seems to be in here is a dining table and the door to the kitchen…

 

**KOICHI:** [Hesitant; biting finger] But Jin… there’s a  _ piano.  _

 

**JIN:** What does that have to do with anything? Do you play?

 

**KOICHI:** Uh, does Chopsticks count? 

 

**JIN:** That’s just scales, Koichi.

 

**KOICHI:** Then, no. But I think it’s cool! I’ve never seen a piano that big before!

 

**JIN:** And I’ve never seen someone get so worked up about one. It’s just an instrument. It’s not like it’s going to go anywhere. 

 

**KOICHI:** Yeah but… It’s  _ cool _ …

 

**JIN:** You know what else is cool? Me figuring out where everything is before we get trampled to death by our classmates. We can come back later, Koichi. 

 

**KOICHI:** [Put out; crossing arms]  _ Fiiiiiiine.  _ You’re no fun sometimes, Jin!

 

**JIN:** I’m aware. 

 

_ Heading off in a huff, Koichi continued to pull me across the room to another archway- this one with birds carved into it instead of flowers. Behind it was, as I’d expected, a library- it looked cosy enough, with plush seats in little clusters, seated in front of long windows that nearly reached the ceiling- but before I could step inside to check out the collection, I found myself tugged away from the archway and towards the stairs. _

 

**JIN:** Koichi, what-

 

**KOICHI:** [Snarky expression; tugging on cape]  _ You  _ were the one who said we didn’t have enough time to check out the areas! You can read your books  _ later _ , Jin. 

 

**JIN:** Jeez, fine, I get it- can you let go of my fucking cape?

 

**KOICHI:** Nope! Now c’mon, the upper level awaits!

 

**JIN:** Jackass… 

 

**KOICHI:** Hurry up, slowpoke! 

 

_ Grumbling under my breath, I quickened my pace to catch up to Koichi, so he wasn’t yanking me around anymore. Koichi grinned at me, letting go of my cape to grab onto my arm. We took the stairs two at a time, before being faced with a hallway branching off in two directions. Koichi decided to go left first, heading down the hallway and past several doors, each with a button glued to the front. Monokuma must have prepared this while we were still in the first biodome…  _

 

**JIN:** These are the dorms. 

 

**KOICHI:** Mhmm! 

 

**JIN:** Koichi, shouldn’t we check ours out? I think we passed the mint button a while ago-

 

**KOICHI:** I just need to check something. 

 

**JIN:** Listen, if this is about the fucking piano, I swear to god-

 

**KOICHI:** It’s not! I just need to see… 

 

_ Suddenly, Koichi stopped, and I found myself skidding to an abrupt stop. He tugged, pulling my arm and attention towards a large archway, one that had been decorated with carvings of waves. It lead into a massive room, similar to that of the library… actually, according to the position of the room, it should the room directly above. What was inside could only be described as… chaotic.  _

 

_ It was like someone had hastily tried to design a room, but had given up every three minutes and moved onto a new style, without clearing out the old furniture. The walls seemed to be dripping paint everywhere, patchy in places and painted in sharply contrasting colour schemes. This was definitely a room I couldn’t just leave here without exploring… and judging by Koichi’s expression, he couldn’t either. _

 

**JIN:** ...What the fuck. 

 

**KOICHI:** What the fuck indeed. 

 

_ I broke free of Koichi’s hold, stepping into the room and wrinkling my nose. Yep, the paint was still wet… at least from the smell of it. Monokuma must have… redecorated recently. The first “area” of the room seemed to be covered in what I could only describe as “fancy” furniture. A plush, expensive-looking lounge chair sat pressed against the wall, a wine rack next to it. Shockingly, it looked like it was pretty well stocked… _

 

**KOICHI:** [Concerned; grabbing bottle of wine] ...No chance that this is just grape juice?

 

**JIN:** I wouldn’t try it, if I were you. Besides… this bottle looks more expensive than your entire camp.

 

**KOICHI:** Eh… wouldn’t say that much. Doesn’t really look like a million dollar investment.

 

_...Where the hell did a high schooler get a million dollars?! I’d need to remember to ask Koichi about that later. _

 

**JIN:** Still, best not to drop it… everything here looks pretty expensive… except for the mini fridge.

 

_ Sitting amongst all the lavish furniture, just barely brushing what looked like a rug made out of a skinned panther, was a dinky-looking mini fridge. I knelt down, opening up and looking around at the insides. Well, at least the food seemed to match… caviar, slabs of uncooked wagyu, and some french dishes I probably couldn’t pronounce were all huddled together. I closed the fridge, unwilling to risk tampering with them. _

 

**KOICHI:** You think if Monokuma could shell out for all this fancy stuff, he could bother to get a better fridge… like that one! Over there!

 

_ Koichi pointed to another section of the room, which seemed to be kitted out almost like a tiny kitchen. Why were there two kitchens…? This one didn’t even look big enough to get any real work done in. All the furniture was crammed so closely together it would be a real struggle for anyone to move through comfortably.  _

 

_ Koichi was right though, the fridge definitely did look a lot better… good enough that he vaulted the counter to get to it, anyway. _

 

**JIN:** Hey, what the hell are you doing?!

 

**KOICHI:** [Mischievous; winking] Getting some good grub! A fridge this big probably has  _ loooooaaaaaads  _ of food, and I haven’t eaten lunch yet!

 

_ Koichi swung the doors of the fridge open, and seemed to be almost salivating at the contents. Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, and everything in between lined the shelves. He reached in and grabbed an apple, before slamming it closed with a heavy booming noise. We both winced at that, but Koichi recovered sooner, swinging around on the counter and crunching down on his apple. _

 

**KOICHI:** [Speaking with his mouth full]   Y’want sum, J’n?

 

**JIN:** Hard pass. I don’t want your saliva in my mouth.

 

**KOICHI:** Awwww…

 

**JIN:** Besides, I already had breakfast. That’s enough food for now.

 

**KOICHI:** [Awkward; half-smiling] Well- hmm. Guess you know your body better than I do, so… if you say so!

 

_ Koichi slipped down from the counter, leaving the core of the apple resting there. He shuffled over to the next portion of the room, divided off from the kitchen by a row of… weird boxes. This part of the room was definitely one of the barer ones, with only the wooden boxes and a few framed pictures on the wall. Looking closer, I could see that they were pressed flowers. _

 

**KOICHI:** [Mischievous; winking] ...You think there’s any more food in the boxes?

 

**JIN:** No. There’s already a kitchen here. Also- you just ate!

 

**KOICHI:** Yeah, but I’m curious! And hungry! I miss Hana’s food…

 

**JIN:** She’ll be up here soon. Which… actually means we should finish exploring this room as soon as we can. I don’t think I’d be able to stand the atmosphere with twelve other people packed in. I’m getting a headache as-is. 

 

**KOICHI:** [Saluting] Gotcha! Speed-mode, activated!

 

_ Koichi reached out to grab my arm again, leading me towards the next section. It seemed to have several potted plants growing across it, from shaped bonsai trees to tiny pots of sage and thyme. There wasn’t much to see here either, besides the plants… the only real thing to note was a few ratty old beanbags, which seemed to be woven out of some kind of hemp-like material. Weird.  _

 

_ It was only in the next area where things started to get interesting- heavy curtains ran from the ceiling to the floor, and seemed to square it off into a neat little mini-room. Parting them allowed you to step inside near-blackness, illuminated only by a tiny red bulb dangling from the top of the ceiling. _

 

**JIN:** ...It’s a darkroom.

 

**KOICHI:** Well, yeah, of  _ course  _ it’s a dark room. Jeez, I can barely see!

 

**JIN:** Not a- a  _ darkroom,  _ Koichi. A room for developing film. See, there’s the trough of chemicals. I’m assuming these wires up here are for hanging photographs…

 

_...Hang on. _

 

_ A fancy area filled with expensive, high-class items. A kitchen that seemed built for a miniature. An area lined with strange wooden crates, with pressed flowers on the wall. A small herb garden. A darkroom. _

 

_ These… these were areas that mimicked our talents. _

 

_...Oh my god, Koichi had nearly opened a beehive.  _

 

**JIN:** Jesus Christ, he really went the extra mile…

 

**KOICHI:** [Hesitant; biting finger] Uh… who did?

 

**JIN:** Monokuma. He’s made the sections to match up with our talents.

 

**KOICHI:** [Grinning; eyes closed] Oh- neat! That’s awesome!

 

**JIN:** Yeah, well, I mean… maybe for you. I’m not… entirely sure what he’s going to put in… er. The more dangerous talent areas.

 

**JIN:** One of us is literally a gang leader, Koichi. I shouldn’t have to spell out what that means for you.

 

**KOICHI:** Oh…

 

**KOICHI:** [Panicked; clutching shoulders] Oh, shit!

**JIN:** Let’s not get too panicked… we’re the first ones here. If we can case the room, get rid of anything deadly… we should be fine, right?

 

**KOICHI:** Right, right, yeah… are chemicals deadly? Like, the chemical bath?

 

**JIN:** Uh…

 

_ Honestly, I think dealing with a rampaging Hitomiko would be far deadlier. _

 

**JIN:** There’s no way we can really get rid of those safely, so I guess we can leave them for now…

 

**KOICHI:** Ugh, now I feel sick… I wish I hadn’t eaten.

 

**JIN:** Let’s just… move on. The sooner we search this place, the sooner we can make it safe.

 

_ The two of us stepped out of the darkroom, finding ourselves in an area covered wall-to-wall with fabrics of all kinds. It looks like Maiku didn’t really have to worry about transporting those fabric bolts over after all… A loom sat in the corner, right next to a spinning wheel. There didn’t look to be anything immediately dangerous… not unless your name was Sleeping Beauty, anyway. _

 

**JIN:** This area looks safe… I mean, presumably there are needles. But, like. They’re too small to kill someone, right?

 

**KOICHI:** ….I guess.

 

_ Quickly heading off from that area, I found myself in one that looked… far too close to home. A desk sat in the corner, piled high with case reports and… _

 

**JIN:** Oh my gosh! A forensic kit!

 

_ I rushed over, grabbing it and clasping it to my chest like it was a child. Popping the lid open, I could see that everything was here… fingerprinting sets, chemicals to test for blood or saliva, a whole set of freshly polished magnifying glasses… the list went on. This would be so helpful in the case of a… _

 

_...Another murder. Which wasn’t going to happen. Right. _

 

_ I cleared my throat, face flushing in embarrassment at my little outburst. _

 

**JIN:** I. Uh. I mean. This is… this is important.

 

**KOICHI:** [Giggling; hand covering mouth] Jin… you are so cute!

 

**JIN:** No I- no I’m not!

 

**KOICHI:** Cute, cute,  _ cute! _

 

_ I was half expecting Koichi to rush over and start pinching my cheeks. I grumbled, placing the forensic kit back on the desk, and running a hand through my hair. A quick glance at the rest of the area revealed a few more tools that might be useful, like a couple microscopes and a few DNA testing kits.  _

 

**JIN:** Right, uh… nothing immediately dangerous here. A few chemicals, but nothing too toxic, especially not in such low doses. Besides, I… might need this area intact. For work reasons.

 

**KOICHI:** Mh-hmm! But you don’t get to take anything from my area, okay! 

 

**JIN:** ...Fine. But I don’t see how anything in a  _ boy scout  _ area would be deadly, anyway.

 

**KOICHI:** [Pointing to badge] H-hey! It’s a dangerous job! Survivalism is  _ hard work!  _

 

**JIN:** Whatever you say, Koichi…

 

_ I pushed past him, walking around one of my desks to enter the next area. This was… a mess. There was graffitti staining the walls, and a motorcycle seemed to be pressed up against the corner of the room. A fucking motorcycle. A few spiked baseball bats seemed to be lying around, as well as some loose knives. Wincing, I picked one of the bats up, handing it over to Koichi. _

 

**JIN:** This must be Hiroko’s area… not the prettiest, huh?

 

**KOICHI:** Hm… I dunno!

 

**KOICHI:** [Giggling; hand covering mouth] I think the Hello Kitty bike is kinda cute!

 

_ Wait, what?! _

 

_ I took a double take at the motorcycle, only realising now that it was covered in Hello Kitty decals. What the hell…? _

 

**JIN:** That doesn’t fit the atmosphere at all…

 

**KOICHI:** I dunno, Jin. Bosozoku have pretty wacky bike mods. I don’t think this is really that out there… really cutesy, yeah, but reasonable.

 

**JIN:** I just can’t imagine someone like  _ Hiroko  _ riding this, is all…

 

_ I kicked at a knife on the floor, sighing. _

 

**JIN:** We’re not going to be able to carry all of these out by hand… we’ll have to make several trips, or get someone to help us. 

 

**KOICHI:** [Concerned; picking up knife] Hmm… maybe I could crack open one of those weird crates and we could fill that up?

 

**JIN:** _ No!  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Startled; dropping knife] Wh- huh?! Why not?!

 

**JIN:** I- those are  _ beehives,  _ Koichi!

 

**KOICHI:** O-oh… oh, crap! I nearly swarmed us!

 

**JIN:** Just… you didn’t know. I was confused at first until I made the connection with the flowers, and… let’s just. Look for some other boxes.

 

**KOICHI:** R-right on, Jin!

 

_ I had to cross the room to get to the next section… which seemed to look a lot cheerier. The walls were painted bright pink, and all it had were a bunch of pool toys and life preservers scattered everywhere. _

 

**KOICHI:** ...Hey, Jin!

 

**JIN:** Huh?

 

**KOICHI:** [Brandishing pool noodle like sword]  _ On guard!  _

 

**JIN:** ...It’s actually pronounced  _ en gar-  _ hey!

 

_ Before I could finish my sentence, Koichi had smacked me on the top of the head with the pool noodle. It didn’t hurt, but it still made me glower at him. Once he saw the look on my face, he burst into a fit of hysterical giggles.  _

 

**JIN:** Alright, alright, very funny… nothing here is that dangerous, unless you think you can kill someone with a squirt gun.

 

_ Koichi stopped laughing long enough to drop the pool noodle, but started up again after I finished my sentence. Maybe he was thinking about the actual logistics of squirt-gun-murder. Whatever it was, I sighed, wading through the inflatables and into the next area. Jeez, this was starting to become incredibly repetitive… but I couldn’t afford to miss any would-be weapons. _

 

_ This section was pretty crammed with fancy machinery I couldn’t even pretend to recognise. A few glass shelving units lined the walls, filled with rocks and stones of all shapes and sizes. A few had been cracked open, revealing the geode inside. Again, no immediate weapons, unless the machines could be used for something… and even then, they looked to be bolted to the ground. Next area, then. _

 

_ This one, was… definitely something. _

 

_ Blood dripped down the walls, and swirled into a demonic-looking spell circle on the floor. I probably would have been a lot more shocked if I hadn’t previously seen the state of Taichi and Renma’s cabin. Skulls were littered around the floor, some animal… some suspiciously human-looking. A single, ornate knife lay in the centre of the circle, which I pocketed. The only other weapons seemed to be the skulls… but who the hell would try to bludgeon someone to death with someone else’s skull? Jesus, that would be a way to go…  _

 

_ Koichi stopped laughing as soon as he stepped into this area, looking significantly rattled. I smirked at that, finally glad to have the upper hand in this dynamic. _

 

_ Wait, what was I talking about? It wasn’t like the two of us were some comedy duo! Shaking my head to clear the thoughts, I moved on... _

 

_...And then stopped dead in my tracks. _

 

_ Newspapers. _

 

_ Newspapers everywhere. _

 

_ Lining the walls. Stacked on the desk. Scattered on the floor. _

 

_ Newspapers, newspapers, newspapers, newspapers. _

 

_ … _

 

_ I couldn’t breathe. _

 

_ I scratched at my throat, as if trying to tear away some sort of invisible noose. I could remember myself struggling, trying to dig my fingers under the sheets, my survival instincts finally kicking in. I could remember how helpless I felt as my oxygen slipped away, as my arms fell limp to my sides and I let my eyes close. I hadn’t done it right. I was supposed to break my neck when I jumped. _

 

_ Sinking to my knees, I pressed my forehead against the ground and tried to compose myself, even as I felt myself start to violently shake. I still couldn’t breathe, no matter how hard I wheezed, trying to draw in air like a drowning soldier. I’d had panic attacks before, but none of them had affected me this strongly. _

 

_ At least… not physically. _

 

**KOICHI:** J-Jin?  _ Jin!  _

 

_ I was dragged to my feet, and I found Koichi clamping a hand over my eyes. He pulled me close to him, humming under his breath as he moved us both to another section of the room. And then, he was gone- leaving me trembling and leaning against a ratty-looking couch. I could hear some odd noises from behind me, but they were mostly drowned out by the ringing in my ears. _

 

_ By the time I had composed myself, I found Koichi kneeling next to me, a sad smile on his face. _

 

**KOICHI:** [Sad; grabbing arm] I… I tore them down. It’s… they’re in the desk, now.

 

_ I turned around, checking to see if he was telling the truth- indeed, the walls had all been stripped, and there wasn’t a newspaper in sight. I allowed myself to take a deep breath, unfolding myself from my fetal position.  _

 

**JIN:** ...Sorry. That was stupid.

 

**KOICHI:** N-no, it wasn’t! 

 

**KOICHI:** I mean… god. If I’d been closer to Kotohiko… I’d be pretty terrified of newspapers too. I can’t get his execution out of my mind…

 

**JIN:** …

 

**KOICHI:** [Panicked; clutching shoulders] I mean-! Not to bring up his execution, or anything! Urgh… I’ll shut up now!

 

**JIN:** No, it’s, uh. It’s fine. Wasn’t like I wasn’t already thinking about it.

 

_ After all… how could I forget something like that? _

 

**KOICHI:** So… should we move on? This place is giving me the creeps…

 

**KOICHI:** The entire room, really. Not just Kotohiko’s area. It was fun at first, but now… It just seems so out of place! I mean, why would Monokuma change  _ this  _ room to reflect our talents, but not any other one? Why is everything just shoved in here so haphazardly?!

 

**KOICHI:** ...And how come he’s done such a bad job with the paint job!

 

**???:** _ Wah wah waaaaaaaaaaah?! A bad job?! _

 

_ Monokuma sprung out from behind the couch, leaping up on top of the backrest to stare down at us.  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] You’d do a pretty bad job too if you only had a day to do it!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; staring at floor] And to think… the  _ moment  _ I try to do something nice for you guys, you put me down like this! It’s not fair!

 

**JIN:** I hardly see how this counts as nice- some of us can’t even use this room.

 

**MONOKUMA:** Well, they shouldn’t miss out on cool stuff just because they’re  _ dead…  _ that’s so mean of you to say, Jin!

 

**JIN:** You’re the one who  _ killed  _ them.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] Upupupu! Only  _ one  _ of them, remember! The other one was completely out of my paws! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] Anyway, anyway, it looks like you’re  _ already _ destroying the place. Pooey. 

 

**MONOKUMA:** How are we meant to know the- er.  _ Latest hot goss’  _ if you’ve taken all the rags down!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; staring at floor] Kids like you are why the media is suffering these days…

 

**JIN:** Shut the fuck up.

 

**MONOKUMA:** Kids like  _ you  _ are why  _ I’m  _ suffering these days…

 

**KOICHI:** [Annoyed; arms crossed] Listen, Monokuma! If you have something to say, say it! Or just leave us alone!

 

**MONOKUMA:** I  _ actually  _ came up here to warn you that the others arrived… but I guess you just don’t care about me…

 

**MONOKUMA:** Sob. Sniffle. Cry. 

 

**JIN:** Oh, fuck. Koichi- we need to get the knives.

 

**KOICHI:** [Saluting] O-on it! I’ll just… hang on! I’ll figure something out!

 

_ Koichi rushed off to Hiroko’s section, scooping up as many knives as he could, before promptly slipping on one of them and scattering them everywhere. He yelped, before rushing over to try picking them up again. Shaking my head, I turned back to Monokuma. _

 

**JIN:** Well, consider us warned. Now fuck off.

 

**MONOKUMA:** ...Boo-hoo. Waah. Et cetera. 

 

_ And with that, he was gone, waddling off through the archway and back into god knows where.  _

 

_ I might as well try to explore the rest of the area as quickly as I could. It wouldn’t be much use to have Koichi gather up all the knives if we missed any other weapons lying around… _

 

_ The section we were standing in right now seemed plain enough, with some ratty furniture, a television set, and a strange machine propped against the wall. I decided to leave it for now, passing through a section entirely filled with different bicycles, and ending up in a homely-looking area that had a few drawers squeezed between large, plush armchairs.  _

 

_ Inside the drawers seemed to be camping supplies, rope, a few guides to foraging… this must be Koichi’s area. Nothing seemed too dangerous, so I moved on. I’d promised not to disturb any of his stuff anyway. That only left one area… which was modelled after an office.  _

 

_ And, oh my god, were there a lot of guns. _

 

_ Guns stuffed in shelves, strewn across the table, even buried in the soil of a fucking pot plant in the corner. I stiffened, my jaw hanging agape at the sheer amount of firearms. _

 

**JIN:** ...Fucking Takaaki. 

 

_ There was no way I would be able to move all of these. Had Monokuma put all these here when we he came to warn us? It seemed to be the only explanation. I’m pretty sure I would have noticed the piles of guns earlier, especially since this area was quite close to the entrance archway.  _

 

_ Grimacing, I picked up a gun and removed the cartridge. Just like a feared, they all seemed to be loaded. Hundreds of guns, just lying here, ready for anyone to use… but if I got rid of all the ammo, they’d be safe, right? _

 

**JIN:** Uh… Hey! Koichi! 

 

**KOICHI (Voice):** What?!

 

**JIN:** We have a problem! 

 

_ At that, I heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching, and an out-of-breath Koichi nearly barreled into me.  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Panting; clutching chest] Ah, Jin, what- 

 

**KOICHI:** [Panicked; clutching shoulders] What the  _ fuck?!  _

 

**JIN:** ...Yeah. I guess you can see the issue here.

 

**KOICHI:** Urgh… this is a nightmare! Are they the real deal, or…?

 

**JIN:** They’re real- I think. Either that, or  _ very  _ realistic fakes. 

 

**KOICHI:** [Hesitant; biting finger] ...I guess I’m just going to have to make more room in my bag.

 

**JIN:** Huh?

 

_ It was only then that I noticed what Koichi had dumped next to him- a deflated pool toy, which seemed to be stuffed full of knives. Poor dolphin. _

 

**JIN:** Well, that’s, uh… certainly creative.

 

**KOICHI:** I had to work with what I had!

 

**KOICHI:** [Saluting] Anyway… let me deal with this! You go greet the rest of the group, make sure they don’t come in here when I’m packing all this up. You got that, Jin?

 

_ I saluted back, moving to head back into the hallway.  _

 

**JIN:** Gotcha. 

 

_ As soon as I stepped into the hallway, I could hear a small cacophony coming from the lower levels. Sighing, I walked down the stairs, trying to get a grip on the situation. The rest of the class had burst through the front doors, which were still swinging slightly on the hinges. The ones who’d been excited about the snow seemed even more bubbly once they were inside somewhere warm, climbing over everything to try and explore the area. The ones who weren’t seemed to have kept their initial attitude, but they definitely looked a lot less frostbitten.  _

 

**MAIKU:** [Climbing on top of chair] S-Sir Sadamu! Lift me! I can’t reach the top shelf!

 

**SADAMU:** [Trying to suppress giggles; hand over mouth] It looks like you’re managing quite well on your own,  _ mon lapin.  _

 

**MAIKU:** N-No, I’m gonna fall!

 

**SADAMU:** Snnk- Come down, then! There’s a whole library here.

 

**MAIKU:** Sadamu!  _ Du bist nutzlos!  _ I’m trying to reach Wilde!

 

**SADAMU:** Are you swearing at me in German?  _ C'est très inapproprié de votre part, mon petit prince. _

 

**MAIKU:** _ Nein-  _ uhm,  _ non!  _ Did you just call me- AAGH!

 

_ Maiku overbalanced, falling off the side of the chair and crashing into the bookshelf. Several books followed him, nearly burying him under a small stack. Sadamu couldn’t suppress his laughter anymore, bursting into soft-sounding giggles. _

 

**ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] Maimai! Are you okay?!

 

**HIROKO:** [Laughing; clutching stomach] Oh my god! The little twink just totalled himself!

 

**RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] ...Don’t you know his name by now?

 

**HIROKO:** Am I  _ supposed  _ to?

 

_...Maybe I should go back and help Koichi clean up after a- _

 

**HIROKO:** [Pumped; clenching both fists] Oh, hey! The  _ cooler  _ twink just arrived!

 

**JIN:** You know I don’t know that that means, right?

 

**HIROKO:** Heh. Well, you see- hang on, do you have any body hair?

 

**JIN:** Wh- what does that have to do with anything?!

 

**HIROKO:** More than you’d like to know.

 

**RUKA:** [Put out; sighing] Hiroko, stop picking on him.

 

**HIROKO:** [Pissed off; middle finger raised] I didn’t even fuckin’  _ do  _ anything!

 

**HIROKO:** Prissy bitch…

 

**RUKA:** [Strained smile] So, Jin. I didn’t know you came here before the rest of us!

 

**JIN:** Koichi and I. We came in because we wanted to investigate with a little bit of clarity… didn’t get through much, though. He’s still working on safety-proofing a room upstairs…

 

**HIROKO:** [Interested; eyes glittering] ...Safety-proofing? Is it dangerous?

 

**JIN:** There are knives.

 

**HIROKO:** Hell yeah! Get outta the way little man, I gotta stock up on some of those badboys!

 

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] No! Nobody’s going into any dangerous rooms without my permission! 

 

**HIROKO:** [Pissed off; raising middle finger] Oh, yeah? And who put  _ you  _ in charge! 

 

**RUKA:** I’m used to leadership positions, it only makes sense that I-

 

**HIROKO:** I’m a fuckin’  _ girl gang leader!  _ It’s my talent! What the fuck are you leading, a bunch of rocks?!

 

**RUKA:** Well, at least  _ diamonds  _ can handle pressure… unlike you!

 

_ The two of them devolved into mindless bickering, giving me an opening to slip by without having to engage in any more conversation. Good- Ruka and Hiroko were nice enough people, but their personalities could be awfully… overpowering at times.  _

 

_ … _

 

_ Honestly, that description could probably fit everyone here.  _

 

_ Now that I was down here, though, I should probably check out the library. Koichi had tugged me away before I really had much chance to explore it- which I probably deserved, but I was still curious.  _

 

_ The library still looked as grand as ever, and still seemed empty enough, even though I could see a few students milling around. I wandered through the rows of shelves, noting that they all seemed to be engraved like the arches were. Brass plates proudly proclaimed either what genre or Nippon decimal section each shelf contained. Strangely, they seemed to be engraved in English- just like the books in the foyer. Curiously, I headed down a row- Mystery and Detective Fiction. Seemed like a fitting place to start. _

 

_ The books lining the walls seemed to all have English titles as well- not a single kanji or hiragana in sight. I didn’t recognise any of the authors- although, I supposed I haven’t really read many mystery books to begin with. Grabbing one off the shelf, I flicked through it, just to confirm that it was in English. Finding the unmistakable curves of the language on every page, I sighed. Even though the library was huge, it looked like only me and the other English speakers would get to enjoy it. _

 

_ Was this Monokuma’s plan? To give us entertainment, but no way of accessing it? Seemed a little bit stupid, especially considering a lot of us knew enough English to get by. And there were probably dictionaries hidden in here to help us if we didn’t. Weird.  _

 

_ I shelved the book, walking back out into the centre aisle of the library. Taichi was flitting from shelf to shelf, growing more and more frustrated with each turn. I gathered that he didn’t speak English. Hitomiko seemed to be fine, though, and had nestled herself into one of the armchairs, a thick book propped up in front of her. _

 

_ I decided to sit down next to her, peering over at the front page of the book. “Notable Crimes of the Last Century”, huh? Well… that was certainly something. Definitely what I would have expected Hitomiko to read, but it was still a little unnerving. A small part of my brain couldn’t help but wonder if she was taking inspiration, especially with how we all turned on her during the last trial. _

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Thinking; biting knuckle] ...No, this doesn’t make any sense…

 

_ Huh? _

 

**JIN:** What doesn’t?

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Panicked; tugging on collar] Eep! Jin!

 

_ She nearly launched the book across the room in her surprise, fixing me with a terrified look. So she got so absorbed she didn’t even notice me…? _

 

**JIN:** Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Neutral] Nah, don’t worry. You just startled me… it takes a lot more to scare me!

 

**HITOMIKO:** Uhm… though some of this stuff is kinda scary, I guess.

 

**JIN:** What, the crimes?

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Cheeky; tongue out] Nah! Why would I read a book of crimes if I got scared by that junk?

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Conflicted; wincing] No… what I’m more scared about is… well, you see. You  _ can  _ read English, right?

 

**JIN:** Yeah.

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Handing over book] Then you should take a look at this.

 

_ It looked like a list of cases, some of them illustrated with sketches that were so gruesome I felt a small bit of bile rise in my throat. I turned my attention to the text instead, reading out the title. _

 

_ GENOCIDER SYO - A STUDY OF JAPAN’S “ULTIMATE” SERIAL KILLER _

 

_ Reading through this, I could see that the so-called “Genocider Syo” was really a high school girl suffering from dissociative personality disorder- Touko Fukawa, as the report identified. Fukawa, huh…? That name seemed a little familiar, although I couldn’t quite place it. She reportedly killed due to a lifetime of abuse, and led a double life as the Super High School Level Author. Weird, I hadn’t heard of any Hope’s Peak students turning out to be serial killers… in fact, I couldn’t remember any serial killers going by “Genocider Syo” at all.  _

 

_ Maybe she was just before my time- after all, it was noted that the killings took place at the “beginning of the century”. But that didn’t make much sense either… Hope’s Peak only opened in 1933. We were the 58th class, after all… Let’s see if there are any other dates that might clear thi- _

 

_ Wait. _

 

_ What?! _

 

**JIN:** This… this says she started killing in… 2004.

 

_ But… that can’t be, right? That’s 13 years in the future. It’s impossible! _

 

**HITOMIKO:** At first, I thought it was a misprint, y’know? But no… her other killings were spread from 2004 to 2011, when she started attending Hope’s Peak.

 

**HITOMIKO:** All the other articles in the book are like this too- the Killer Killer, Sparkling Justice- they’re all from the twenty first century.

 

**JIN:** Then it’s just… fiction. Really,  _ really  _ weird fiction. 

 

**HITOMIKO:** I don’t know, Jin… I thought that spaceships like this were fictional too! And the technology the people running this have… haven’t you ever considered…

 

**HITOMIKO:** ...That they’re really time-travelling aliens?

 

**JIN:** Ghk-!

 

_ And here I was… thinking that she was going to say something plausible. I guess today’s alien discussion really got to her.  _

 

**JIN:** I really don’t think an alien would bother with a bunch of high school students…

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Excited; flapping hands] Yeah- but we’re not just  _ any  _ old high school students! And I mean… a big government conspiracy linked to Hope’s Peak? It sounds  _ just  _ as plausible as the aliens!

 

**HITOMIKO:** Omigosh, I’m gonna meet aliens! Real, actual, aliens! Do you think they speak a different language?!

 

**JIN:** ...Didn’t you think Monokuma was the alien?

 

**HITOMIKO:** Oh, yeah! Right. Monokuma… hmm. He- oh, well. It’s probably not important.

 

_...What’s she talking about? _

 

**JIN:** What do you mean?

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Conflicted; wincing] Uh… he just. Met up with me earlier this morning. Asked if he could dig through the cabin to get at… well, you know.

 

**HITOMIKO:** I dunno… there was just something a little  _ off  _ about him. If he’s an alien, he’s a pretty human one.

 

**JIN:** I don’t think there’s anything human about forcing us into a killing game, Hitomiko. He’s a robot, or something. Just an object programmed to make us suffer.

 

**HITOMIKO:** ...Yeah. He was probably just trying to trick me. I mean, I’m kinda gullible! 

 

_ That’s underestimating it… _

 

**JIN:** Anyway… this book is definitely just some dumb shit Monokuma made up to get us to kill. Don’t buy into it.

 

**HITOMIKO:** If you say so…

 

_ I left Hitomiko at that point, hurrying out of the library. The atmosphere of the place had entirely changed after reading that book. It… had to be fake, right? It had to be. It was impossible for it to be anything else. _

 

_ Completely impossible. _

 

_ I shook my head, trying to get rid of the thought. I could see that everything had mostly calmed down here by now- Takaaki had walked over to Hiroko, and seemed to be trying to bum a cigarette off of her. I wonder where his had gone- he might have forgotten them in the move. Either way, it looked like both of them were busy, which was always good. Maiku was curled up on the armchair, seated directly in Sadamu’s lap, and squinting at a large book that read “THE COLLECTED WORKS OF OSCAR WILDE” on the cover. Isana looked to be hovering over his shoulder, speaking to him rapidly and pointing at the book. _

 

_ Was she… reading it to him? _

 

_ I would have thought Maiku knew English… he was European, after all. Maybe I’d judged wrong. I decided to leave them be- Isana looked like she was really enjoying herself, and I didn’t want to interrupt her.  _

 

_ Besides those two groups, nobody was really in the foyer anymore. I hoped Koichi had managed to get rid of all the weapons in time, if anyone had gone upstairs… but before I could head over and check, I saw something strange. _

 

_ A door was leading out behind the foyer, swinging slightly as if it had been recently opened. From there, I could hear someone… giggling? _

 

_ I creeped over, trying not to look as weird as I felt. Did this even count as eavesdropping? I was just trying to investigate the area. I peered through the doorway, looking out into the area, noticing steam swirling just in front of me. _

 

_...Ah. It was a bathhouse. Kind of a strange placement for one, but I supposed it was useful, especially considering the climate. The baths didn’t seem to be segregated by gender- or have any separation from the outside world at all, really.  _

 

_...Oh god. I better close my eyes. I don’t want to see anything weird in here. _

 

**MINON (Voice):** Heheh, so, I was… oh…

 

**SHIZUYA (Voice):** No, go on. I was just starting to get interested in the story.

 

**MINON (Voice):** ...I think we have a… uh… Peeping Tom…

 

**SHIZUYA (Voice):** _ What?! _

 

_ Yup. Definitely didn’t want to see either of them. _

 

**JIN:** I’m covering my eyes. I can’t see you.

 

**MINON (Voice):** Hm… so you’re just assuming we’re… naked, huh…? Pretty perverted…

 

**SHIZUYA (Voice):** Tch. I, for one, am fully decent. Boys and their sex-crazed brains… you’re disgusting.

 

**JIN:** I- That’s-

 

_ I opened my eyes, turning bright red at the sight of Minon and Shizuya staring back at me with a mixture of amusement and disgust. They were dressed- apparently, the place provided swimsuits. It was… pretty stupid for me to assume otherwise. _

 

**MINON:** [Sarcastic; raising eyebrow] But… you know, if you want to see…

 

**JIN:** N-no. Never.

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] Hmm. So you think you’re above her?

 

**JIN:** I d-didn’t-

 

**MINON:** That… really hurts my feelings… Jin… 

 

**JIN:** D-don’t you have a boyfriend?!

 

**MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] Oh… do  _ you _ wanna be my boyfriend…? Creep…

 

**SHIZUYA:** Disgusting. 

 

**JIN:** _ That’s not what I meant! _

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Stifling laughter] Right… because you clearly bat for the  _ other  _ team.

 

**JIN:** No, I- I like girls! 

 

_ I just haven’t met the right one. _

 

**MINON:** [Mocking; tugging at swimsuit strap] Ah… so you  _ do  _ wanna see us naked…?

 

**SHIZUYA:** Well, Kirigiri- I’m  _ so  _ sorry, but I have  _ much _ higher standards.

 

**JIN:** …

 

**JIN:** I’m leaving.

 

_ I slammed the door shut behind me, groaning and burying my head in my hands. Well, that was mortifying. Minon and Shizuya were a pretty terrifying duo. It was like they fed off each other, constantly prompting worse and worse insults towards whoever their victims were. And, sure, that was amusing when it was Monokuma. Not so much when it was me. _

 

_ I shuffled away from the door, trying to get up the stairs- only to have someone grab me from behind. I tensed up- that particular reflex was  _ **_really_ ** _ starting to get annoying, but it wasn’t like I could help it. Exhaling as steadily as I could, I loosened my muscles and looked over my shoulder, meeting Isana’s eyes. _

 

**JIN:** ...Yes?

 

**ISANA:** [Embarrassed; biting lip] Uhm… 

 

**ISANA:** I need your help.

 

**JIN:** Huh?

 

**ISANA:** [Leaning in; whispering] You saw the girls, right? I was going to go in and supervise them, but they told Maiku that I could read English! 

 

**ISANA:** And, like, yeah, I totes can. Really well, actually. But, uh… he’s roped me into reading something bigger than my head!

 

**ISANA:** And I  _ really  _ don’t want them to drown each other in there. So… help a sis out, Jinny?

 

_ I really should be going back up to check on Koichi… but it wasn’t like I could just say no to Isana. She was doing everyone a favour for volunteering to supervise the two terrors.  _

 

**JIN:** Of course. What book?

 

**ISANA:** You saw it, right? Or, maybe you heard Maiku talking about it… The Collected Works of Oscar Wilde. 

 

_ Can’t say I was really familiar with his work, but I’d give it a try. _

 

**JIN:** ...Sounds simple enough. I don’t have to read  _ the entire book _ , right?

 

**ISANA:** Mmm…

 

**ISANA:** [Speeding off] Good luck Jin! Gotta go!

 

_ Oh no. _

  
**MAIKU:** [Shouting; waving arms] Sir Jin! Is it true what Miss Isana said? Are you going to read to us?

 

**JIN:** Uh- yeah. Just a minute.

_ I was going to be here for hours, wasn’t I? _

**JIN:** So, uh… what are you up to?

**MAIKU:** [Jabbing finger at page] Beginning of Chapter Six! 

**JIN:** Chapter Six of what? It’s a big book.

**MAIKU:** _ The Picture of Dorian Gray _ , of course! It’s Wilde’s most famous work- his only novel, in fact!

**JIN:** If it’s his only novel, why is the book so huge?

**MAIKU:** Well, he was primarily a poet and a playwright… so most of the book is  _ that.  _ And while I quite enjoy  _ The Importance of Being Earnest,  _ I relate to Dorian on a truly  _ spiritual  _ level! So! Read it!

**JIN:** ...And you’ve read this before.

**MAIKU:** [Impatient; gripping book tight] Yes!

**JIN:** Then why do you want me to read it to you?

**MAIKU:** _ Jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!  _ A true appreciator of the arts cannot merely enjoy them… twenty seven times! It needs to be a lifelong commitment!

**JIN:** You’ve read it  _ twenty seven times?! _

**MAIKU:** _ Ja! Si! Oui! Gea!  _ Yes!

**SADAMU:** [Soothing; playing with Maiku’s hair] Calm down,  _ mon vilain _ .

**MAIKU:** _ Il ne sera pas lire! _

**SADAMU:** _ Il n'a pas à le faire. Il te fait une faveur, chouchou.  _

**MAIKU:** _ Pourquoi continues-tu à m'appeler comme ça? _

_ I edged away, trying to make an escape amongst all the French. _

**SADAMU:** [Blushing; covering mouth with hands]  _ Qu'est-ce que tu racontes? _

**MAIKU:** [Wildly gesturing]  _ Chouchou! Mon vilain! Mon lapin! Ils sont tous des termes romantiques, non? Sadamu, nous sommes tous les deux des hommes! _

**SADAMU:** _ J'utilise des termes d'affection pour les amis proches. Il me manque aussi ma petite amie ... tu dois comprendre ça. _

**MAIKU:** Ah!

**MAIKU:** [Throwing arms around Sadamu; sobbing loudly]  _ Bien sur je comprend! Elle est ton vrai amour! Je suis désolé de douter de votre intégrité, mon cher ami! _

_ Yup. Definitely time to go. _

_ I slipped around the banister of the stairs, taking them two at a time. I began to head down towards the talent room, only to have someone yank on my cape from behind. I stumbled in my tracks, whirring around to face the man of the hour: Koichi.  _

**JIN:** Do you ever get tired of doing that?

**KOICHI:** [Grinning; eyes closed] Nope! It’s fun, Jin! I’ve never met someone who wears a cape before.

**JIN:** Yeah, and it was hard to make. So don’t play with it. 

**KOICHI:** You really are no fun… but you wanna know what is?

**JIN:** Me getting to relax in my room for a while?

**KOICHI:** Mmm… nope! Come with me.

_ Koichi led me down to the  _ **_other_ ** _ end of the hallway, past some more rooms that had buttons glued to them… presumably the other half of the dorms. We stopped at a room that should have been directly above the dining hall and kitchen. Little cherry blossoms were etched into the archway, and even just peering into the room, I could already tell it was… absolutely breathtaking. _

_ … _

_ Maybe that was a poor choice of words. _

_ Either way, the room was gorgeous. A far cry from the gaudy mess of the talent room, the room was elegant and refined. Floor-length curtains hung from the ceiling, grouped together around large windows. A small buffet table had been placed against one of the walls, but otherwise the room was bare… except for a stage like the one in the dining hall.  _

_ The stage was absolutely crowded with instruments of all shape and type, and my gaze was immediately drawn towards one of the violins. It had been so long since I’d been able to play… especially in such a beautiful ballroom like this one. I couldn’t help myself from trembling in excitement. _

**JIN:** ...Yeah. This is fun. 

**KOICHI:** [Mischievous; winking] I know, right! I mean, they even have a record player!

**JIN:** ...Huh?

**KOICHI:** [Pointing] Look!

_ Koichi was pointing towards something at the very back of the stage… a wooden shelf stacked full of records, with a record player balancing precariously on top of it. Oh, so that’s what he was talking about… it made sense, but I couldn’t help but feel a little indignant that he didn’t care for the instruments. _

_ Speaking of instruments. _

**JIN:** Why do you think the piano is downstairs, and not up here?

**KOICHI:** Oh- I actually know the answer to that!

_ Koichi bounced over towards the far end of the room, and knelt down to unlatch a trap door- not unlike the one that used to lead to the mess hall. He propped it open, looking down to the top of the grand piano. _

**KOICHI:** Weird, right? I guess this is something you can open to let the music in… I guess they just didn’t have the manpower to move the piano up the stairs, or something. Kinda weird, but I dig it!   
  


**JIN:** Seems a lot more work to make the trapdoor than move the piano, but… I  _ guess  _ I also… “dig it”.

**KOICHI:** [Giggling; hand covering mouth] Snk… heheh…!

**JIN:** Yeah, yeah. I get it. I’ll never use slang again.

**KOICHI:** But it was cute!

**JIN:** I’m not a cute person.

_ I gazed wistfully at the violin, deciding to come back for it later. I felt exhausted, and I desperately just wanted to get some rest. But I knew I had to get food first, so… I better get that over and done with as soon as possible. _

_ Grabbing Koichi’s wrist, I lead him out of the room, down the stairs, and into the dining hall. Surprisingly, he didn’t put up too much protest- he seemed to just be staring down at my hand. Weird.  _

_...Actually, he has a crush on me, doesn’t he? That’s even more weird. I let go of his arm.  _

**HANA:** [Happy; curtseying] Oh, Jin, Koichi-  y’all made it just in time! I was bouta go serve dinner, but you two were off galavantin’ upstairs!

**JIN:** Ah, sorry…

_ I expected that we would be  _ **_early_ ** _ , not  _ **_late_ ** _. That’s probably because I just assumed everyone gets hungry at the same rate I do, I suppose… _

**HANA:** No trouble, no trouble at all! Come in- we have a  _ very  _ special surprise for all y’all tonight.

_...A surprise? And who’s “we”? _

_ I exchanged an odd look with Koichi, moving to go sit down next to him at the dining table. Isana was to my right, currently engaged in what looked to be a heated discussion with Taichi about junk food. Hana probably wouldn’t want to overhear the two of them… something about her made me think she wasn’t exactly a fan of fast food.  _

**HANA:** [Clapping hands together] Alright, y’all! Tonight’s meal is a  _ very special one _ \- anyone know why?

**MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] ...Because we’re finally out of that shitty forest…?

**HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] N-not quite, dearie.

**MAIKU:** [Waving hand in the air] Oh, I know! It’s because we’ve all banded together after great tragedy! A group of fire forged companions, on the quest to-

**HANA:** Not that either… though that’s a real nice thought, honey.

**HANA:** It’s actually because… well… we missed a  _ very  _ important event yesterday.

**TAKAAKI:** [Wry smile; resting jaw on fist] Jin’s suicide attempt?

**HANA:** [Shocked; eyes blown wide] N-no! 

**KOICHI:** [Angry; crossing arms] Hey, knock it off!

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] Shut the fuck up!

**MINON:** Nobody likes you… dude…

**TAKAAKI:** Fine, fine. I get the fucking hint.

**HANA:** [Biting lip; sweating profusely] Nghnn… I was  _ gonna  _ say… we missed someone’s birthday.

**HITOMIKO:** [Surprised; hand covering mouth] Oh my god! Someone got  _ two  _ dead bodies for their birthday? That’s so sick!

**TAICHI:** [Weirded-out; chewing on fingernails] ...Do you m-mean the good s-sick, or the b-bad sick? 

**HANA:** [Thinking; resting chin on fingers] Yeah… ain’t the best of birthday presents… which is why this is their birthday dinner! They even helped me cook some of the meal!

**HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] Er… “helped” is maybe a lil’ bit of a strong word, though…

**RENMA:** [Smirking; arms crossed] Indeed. The dark mistress commanded the kitchen like a powerful weapon… I could only handle far simpler tasks.

**JIN:** ...Renma, it’s your birthday?

**RENMA:** Indeed! Seventeen years have passed since the dark lords carried me up to the surface realms. I removed my tooth yesterday, so no need to worry- I understand such celebrations can be more graphic for lesser mortals.

**SHIZUYA:** [Disgusted; covering mouth with hands] You’re going to make me lose my dinner before I’ve even eaten it. 

**RENMA:** [Annoyed; arms crossed] Tch.

**HANA:** C’mon now, Shizuya, don’t say that… Renma may have strange customs, but we should still respect ‘em. Now, who wants to get some good grub?

_ The dinner was nice- or, well, most of it was nice. There was one plate in the centre that everyone seemed to avoid. I think it was piled with sandwiches, but I couldn’t be completely sure. Whatever they were, they smelt disgusting, and seemed to be giving out some sort of odd aura. Every single time someone went to pick one up, and then drew their hand away, Renma’s frown seemed to deepen. _

_ I would have picked one up out of pity, but I really didn’t want to risk food poisoning.  _

_ Eventually, Hana gave in, picking up one and the sandwiches and taking a tiny bite. This caused Renma to light up like a bunch of fireworks, even as Hana struggled not to gag.  _

**RENMA:** [Grinning from ear to ear] How do you like it, my dark mistress?

**HANA:** [Vaguelly ill; mouth full] Oh… It’s real nice, sweetheart… maybe y’shoulda cooked the meat before y’put it in?

**RENMA:** But then it doesn’t taste as nice…

**HANA:** Uh… well, I guess we just have different preferences, then…

**RENMA:** I’ll keep your words in mind, though. You’re truly a master of this craft.

**HANA:** [Swallowing; shuddering with disgust] Eugh… y-yeah…

_ I’m glad I avoided that fate. I managed to eat enough- some may call my portion size small, but it filled me up. It was enough. No need to- _

**KOICHI:** [Curious; peering over shoulder] Hey, is that all you’re eating?

**JIN:** Uh… yeah.

**KOICHI:** That’s not nearly enough! You didn’t even eat lunch- here.

_ Before I knew it, Koichi was shovelling some of his food onto my plate, plus extra. I blanched, but picked up my fork. I could handle this. It’s just food. _

**KOICHI:** [Proud; dusting off hands] There! Eat that. 

**JIN:** O-okay.

_ I had to. For Kotohiko. _

_ … _

_ Oh god. It was so much.  _

_ I struggled through it, but managed to clear the plate. I felt like I was going to explode- I hadn’t felt this full in years. I gave Koichi a shaky smile, and he grinned back at me, going off to grab another serving for himself. While his back was turned, I excused myself, hurrying up to the dorms.  _

_ I stumbled into the mint dorm, making a beeline for the bathroom. I didn’t even stop to check out my surroundings- all I could focus on was my stomach. Turns out, eating a whole bunch of food when you aren’t used to eating  _ **_any_ ** _ wasn’t a good idea.  _

_ I knelt over the toilet seat. _

_ What followed next was far from pleasant, as you might expect. My throat and nose burned, and I slumped against the seat, trying to catch my breath. God, I smelt disgusting. The whole room smelt disgusting. This was so gross.  _

_ I stood up as soon as I felt I was able to, flushing the mess down. Some of it had gotten on the seat, and I shuddered as I wadded up some toilet paper, using it to wipe the vomit away. I needed a shower. And some rest. It was hard to decide which one was more important. _

_ … _

_ Probably the shower.  _

_ I shrugged off my clothes (oh god, had they gotten hit too? grossgrossgross), stepping into the shower and turning the hot water up to max. I didn’t have the energy to stand up, instead curling on the ground and resting my forehead on my knees. I could just let the scalding water wash over me… then I could brush my teeth, put on my boxers, and fall asleep. The dream.  _

_ Today had just been… so much. Too much. Maybe tomorrow I’d just stay in bed all day. I’d probably be more useful doing that than anything else. _

_ Through my thoughts, I heard the door creak open- not the bathroom door, thankfully, but the main one. Koichi must be back… I should probably get out soon. But I didn’t want to. Even though the water was starting to run cold, I really didn’t want to move. _

**KOICHI (Voice):** ...Jin? Are you in here? I can hear the shower running…

_ I groaned, starting to shiver from the water.  _

**KOICHI (Voice):** Um… I’m gonna take that as a yes! But, uh… I think we should have a talk! You know, about the bed!

_...What? _

**JIN:** Koichi… what are you talking about?

_ My voice sounded croaky, and it almost hurt to speak. I cleared my throat, spitting out some of the acidic bile still lodged in there.  _

**KOICHI (Voice):** You didn’t see?

_ No, I didn’t. _

_ I sighed, standing to my feet and turning off the water. Grabbing a towel from a nearby rack, I wrapped it around myself, opening the door a crack to peek out. _

**JIN:** Sorry, I was… what the fuck?

_ Instead of two beds, there was only one. A king size one, sure, but…  _

**JIN:** Oh, god.

**KOICHI:** [Awkward; half smiling] Yeah…

**JIN:** Hang on- I’m gonna dry off properly.

_ I shut the door, running the towel across my body and through my hair, before dropping it on the floor. I picked up my boxers, sliding them on- they were practically the only piece of clothing that hadn’t gotten caught in the backsplash.  _

**JIN:** Alright… I guess there’s only one way of going about this.

**JIN:** You sleep on the floor. 

**KOICHI:** [Angry; arms crossed] Hey, that’s-

**KOICHI:** [Embarrassed; covering face with hat] Hhhaah?

_ Koichi had turned completely red, and seemed to be staring directly at… oh. _

**JIN:** Eyes are up here, Koichi. 

**KOICHI:** R-right, right. Excuse me for one second. 

_ Koichi pushed past me, walking straight into the bathroom and splashing some cold water on his face. I rolled my eyes. He was just being dramatic. I wasn’t even attractive.  _

**KOICHI:** [Face dripping; shivering slightly] A-alright! So, yeah- why do I have to sleep on the floor?

**KOICHI:** [Scrunching up nose] And why does it smell like puke?

**JIN:** Because I puked. And because you’re a boy scout. You go camping all the time, and I’m tired. 

**KOICHI:** You… puked?

**JIN:** I’m not used to eating too much food. So, anyway-

**KOICHI:** [Sad; grabbing arm] Ah, I’m sorry… that’s my fault, isn’t it?

**JIN:** Yeah, but-

**KOICHI:** I should’ve stuck with what I said before… you know more about your body than I do, I guess.

_...Damn it. Seeing Koichi looking so guilty just made  _ **_me_ ** _ feel guilty. _

**JIN:** Look… we can share the bed. Just move over so I can brush my teeth.

**KOICHI:** [Grinning; eyes closed] Oh- thank you so much, Jin!

**JIN:** Don’t mention it.

_ I pushed Koichi aside, grabbing a toothbrush and some toothpaste from a small pot near the sink. With my mouth clean, I moved over to the bed, lying down and curling up on my side. It was a huge four-poster bed, so I didn’t really worry about it being cramped with two people. I could hear Koichi shuffling behind me- he seemed to hesitate for a few seconds, before resuming.  _

**KOICHI (Voice):** Don’t turn around, Jin. I don’t have a shirt on.

**JIN:** You literally just saw me without a shirt on.

**KOICHI (Voice):** Well- that’s different!

**JIN:** …

**JIN:** Whatever. Goodnight, Koichi. 

_ I squeezed my eyes shut, and within seconds, my exhaustion pulled me down into the depths of sleep. _

* * *

 

**MONOKUMA THEATRE**

**MONOKUMA:** I’ve always wondered why people wish for success.

**MONOKUMA:** People will trip over each other just to get a good job, or a good girlfriend, or a good house. Honestly, I find it all pointless!

**MONOKUMA:** Even if you have the best job in the world, the nicest girlfriend you could find, and a multi-million dollar man- hang on, this is starting to sound familiar.

**MONOKUMA:** Did you get  déjà vu ?

**MONOKUMA:** That’s a funny little feeling, isn’t it? Why, I’ve experienced it at really odd times myself! 

**MONOKUMA:** It happens when I meet new people, when I go to parties, when I try out for job interviews… on and on and on, an eternal dance of faded recollection!

**MONOKUMA:** I’d bet that more than half of you bastards have felt the same way as me! But… how do you know that you  _ haven’t  _ done those things before?

**MONOKUMA:** What if your life was just a fever dream? And these little “glitches” are your mind’s way of telling you something’s off. Of course, you can try to explain it away… but there’s no proof to the contrary.

**MONOKUMA:** You’re so convinced your life is real, aren’t you? But there are so many other possibilities… it’s more likely that at least  _ something  _ is fake about it!

  
**MONOKUMA:** And if your life really is fake… it’s just stupid to fear death!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Not much to say here, but I hope you enjoyed that extra-long chapter!
> 
> Here's a poll for this chapter's victim: https://www.strawpoll.me/15541663
> 
> The first few CH2 FTEs will be in next chapter, so look forward to that!


	10. CHAPTER TWO: "Frozen Teardrops Scattered on an Angel's Wasteland" [PART TWO]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! Our second part of chapter two! Sorry about the LONG wait- I've been dealing with some school and personal issues, and haven't really had that much time to write. I really hope this is worth it! I've also started adding spoilery-content warnings on this website: http://drrdtriggers.carrd.co/ . This is for anyone who may need to read some warnings, and don't mind being spoiled. It will be updated every chapter, and after a while I'll add the link into the main description of the fic. 
> 
> With that being said, let's get going! There are some small parts in this chapter with links to music playing in-story, if you want to have it playing in the background.

_ I woke up blearily, my eyes stuck together from sleep. I don’t think I dreamt last night… and if I did, I’d forgotten everything. At least that was better than being woken up every night from nightmares, I supposed. _

 

_ Groaning, I brought a hand to my face and rubbed at my eyes, yawning slightly. Everything about me ached- my throat was still burning, my limbs felt heavy and sore, and my stomach was rumbling with hunger pangs. But I still didn’t want to leave my bed…  it really was comfortable. I could even feel something soft pressed comfortingly against my back. _

 

_ … _

 

_ Wait, what? _

 

_ I turned around, blinking my eyes in confusion as the soft curves of Koichi’s face came into view. He was still asleep, golden hair falling in his face and splaying across my pillow. I felt my face start to heat up at his proximity- had he purposefully fallen asleep here, or had he just moved over during the night? I really hoped it was the latter. _

 

**JIN:** ...Koichi?

 

**KOICHI:** [Sleeping] …

 

_ It looked like he was sleeping pretty deeply… all I could do was leave the bed, then. I sighed, stepping out of the sheets and stretching. I groaned as I remembered where I’d left my bundle of stuff- all the way back in the foyer, near the fireplace. Either I was going to have to wear my vomit-stained clothes, or go down in my underwear. Both were unfortunate options. _

 

_ I shuffled over to the end of the bed, swinging my legs over and stretching out my aching limbs. Well, there wasn’t much I could do here without clothes. I could brush my hair, and my teeth… but that was pretty much it.  _

 

_ There was no way I was going anywhere near the clothes from last night, which ruled out even those options. My stomach reeled at the thought of it. I pressed the meat of my palm against one eye, groaning. Maybe there was a chance Monokuma would take pity on me and just go and get the clothes for me himself. Do something useful for a damn change. He had to be watching me- which was a sickening thought in its own right.  _

 

_ Koichi appeared to have brought up all his own supplies, judging by the discarded sheet bundle shoved into the corner of the room. Presumably, he’d packed all his clothes away while I was busy vomiting, or just after I’d gone to sleep. An idea started to form in my mind, and I moved over to the bundle, shaking it out and holding it up to my torso.  _

 

_ Wearing my own old sheets as makeshift clothes was stupid, but things had been pretty damn stupid recently. It beat literally all of the alternatives. I draped the sheet around my torso, fumbling in a vain attempt to keep it from slipping down and pooling on the floor. Eventually I conceded to just tying the damn thing around my waist, letting the extra length of it trail on the floor behind me. I was wearing a skirt. Made out of bed sheets. Shirtless. That was… definitely a fashion statement.  _

 

_ Thank god it was probably too early for anyone to be up. The morning announcement hadn’t played, or if it had, I’d slept through it. That was unlikely though- I was a pretty light sleeper, and Monokuma really hadn’t skimped on the volume of those announcements, especially the morning ones. If I was lucky, I could just sneak down, get my clothes, and be done with it.  _

 

_ I padded over to the door, twisting the doorknob and feeling resistance under my hand. Looking down, I could see that these had been fitted with locks- ones that worked from the inside. That was a comfort, at least. Koichi must have locked it before we went to sleep. I flicked the lock open, before pushing open the door and stepping out into the hallway.  _

 

_ A few of the other doors were ajar, and I could hear conversation from the lower levels. Looks like there were some early risers here as well. They must be having a hard time adjusting to the new settings. _

 

_ I wonder how everyone else handled the bed situation.  _

 

_ Maybe they’d changed up the rooms after I excused myself from the table. I mean, it wasn’t like Shizuya had a roommate anymore, and pairs like Taichi and Renma had seemed pretty disagreeable about their arrangements. Hell, even Ruka and Takaaki had had their falling out. It was a safe bet that things had changed to ease the transition along.  _

 

_...I mean, I probably would have liked to have a say in the conversation too. Koichi’s track record of being my roommate wasn’t really the best, seeing as he’d punched me in the face, made me puke my guts out, kept pressing into my personal space… _

 

_ And saved my life. _

 

_ Ugh. I should be more grateful, shouldn’t I? I mean, I did want to die- really badly, actually. But I’d always wanted to do that, and I kept on going anyway. Letting a moment of weakness like that get to me so badly… was frankly embarrassing. Like the time Fuhito had found me with one of his razor blades in the bathtub, and had to take me to the hospital, back when I was thirteen. Embarrassing. I rubbed at my wrists.  _

 

_ Lost in thought, I nearly tripped down the stairs, my foot catching on my sheet skirt and leaving me fumbling to grab the railing before I tipped over. I yelped in surprise, and I could hear the chatter downstairs quiet. Fuck.  _

 

**JIN:** Fuck. 

 

_ Trying to save face, I rightened myself, adjusting the edge of the sheet to make sure it was still covering everything. I walked down the last few steps as carefully as I could, looking around the lobby. Nobody seemed to be in here- the chatter must be localised in the dining room. Everyone must be having breakfast. I was half surprised that they’d decided 6AM was the best time for that, but then again, I didn’t have a very stable eating pattern myself. That’s what got me into this mess in the first place.  _

 

_ If I hurried, I could get my stuff and leave before anyone noticed my… unique state of dress. I spotted my bundle of clothes off near the fireplace, the raging flames dimmed down into embers. We’d need to restock that if we didn’t want to freeze to death in here. At least my clothes should be nice and warm from the fire.  _

 

_ I crept over, kneeling down to pick up the bundle, and- _

 

**SADAMU (Voice):** ...Have we caught you at a bad time?

 

_ I groaned, turning around to face Sadamu and a few others. Maiku was practically clinging to him, burying his face in Sadamu’s side in an attempt not to laugh. Hiroko, on the other hand, was doing absolutely nothing to hide her laughter, nearly doubled over by the force of it. Behind her hovered Ruka and Isana, who looked like they didn’t know what to make of the situation.  _

 

**JIN:** I left my clothes down here. 

 

_ I gestured lamely at the bundle I was holding. Sadamu nodded, as if he understood. Hiroko had transferred herself to the floor, still laughing her head off. _

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on sleeve] Ah, if only I had known… I could have done something about them.

 

_...What the hell was that supposed to mean? _

 

**RUKA:** [Confused; holding neck] Couldn’t you have just worn your clothes from last night?

 

**RUKA:** I mean,  _ I’d  _ never do something like that, but if I was in a pinch…

 

**ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] He’s probably making a fashion statement, Ruru.

 

**JIN:** That’s not- listen, they just got dirty. That’s all.

 

**HIROKO:** [Breaking down laughing] Pfft- hah! D-dirty?! How’d you- what kind of “dirty” shit did you-

 

**JIN:** Vomiting.

 

**HIROKO:** [Suddenly unamused] Ah.

 

_ I flushed in embarrassment, hugging the bundle closer to my chest. What was with these people and mocking me for every single fucking thing I did? What the fuck was wrong with them?! How could they just- laugh about some shit like this, when they didn’t even know what the fuck I was going through, what I’d had to deal with- _

 

**ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] Jinny! That’s a really scary face you’re making!

 

**RUKA:** If you’re getting embarrassed, we can leave. 

 

**JIN:** That’s- yeah. Leave.

 

_ Ruka looked perturbed by my bluntness, placing a hand on Isana’s shoulder and leading her back into the dining room. I could feel myself shaking, and I shifted on my feet, humming with energy. I don’t know why I was so furious all of a sudden.  _

 

_ How could everyone else be so carefree when he was- _

 

_ Don’t think about it. _

 

_ Focus, Jin. _

 

_ I took a deep breath, just in time to see Maiku break away from Sadamu, give one last forlorn look to the bundle of clothes, and head back into the dining room. Sadamu seemed to hesitate, giving me an odd look.  _

 

_ Hiroko seemed completely nonplussed.  _

 

**HIROKO:** [Grumpy; searching pockets] You don’t have to be such a bitch.

 

**HIROKO:** Where the fuck did I put my-

 

**SADAMU:** [Holding up packet of cigarettes] Are you looking for these?

 

_ Hiroko snapped her gaze from me to Sadamu, eyes narrowing and shoulders hunching into an offensive stance. Sadamu towered over her, holding the packet well out of reach.  _

 

**HIROKO:** [Threatening; eyes glowering] Hey. Asshole. Hand those over.

 

**SADAMU:** [Looking to the side] Hm… no. They’re not good for you, especially when you’re-

 

_ Suddenly, something in Hiroko’s expression seemed to click, and she looked a million times angrier. I very much felt that I should just melt into the wall to get away from this confrontation. _

 

**HIROKO:** _ That was a private fucking conversation, you piece of shit! _

 

**HIROKO:** Where the fuck do you get off, listening in to shit like that?! Stealing people’s shit?!

 

**SADAMU:** I’m not going to allow you to hurt yourself, or-

 

**HIROKO:** I’ll fuckin’ hurt you in a minute if you don’t  _ hand those over.  _

 

_ I slinked away from the conversation, heading up the stairs as quickly as I could. Sadamu might be 6’11” and built like a brick shithouse, but I was stringy and frankly a bit brittle. I really didn’t want to be caught in the crossfire of whatever the hell they were talking about.  _

 

_ I only stumbled on the stairs once, rounding the corner and heading towards my dorm again. In retrospect, I probably should have asked them why so many people were awake so early in the morning, instead of getting angry over nothing like a fucking idiot. I couldn’t have slept through the morning announcement, could I? Maybe the speakers were quieter here. I’d slept through the nighttime announcement plenty of times, so maybe Monokuma had finally turned the damn volume down to match it. _

 

_ My Monopad was still with the rest of my vomit-stained clothes, so I’d have to search through them to get to it and check the time. Gross. Maybe I’d just use Koichi’s instead.  _

 

_ Entering the room, I could clearly see that Koichi was awake. Ugh. This was going to be a chore. I dumped my bundle of clothes near the door, closing it behind me, and Koichi jumped. From the looks of things, he was shirtless, back facing me.  _

 

_ Koichi had a weird thing about being naked around me, which was pretty fucking stupid, considering he’d seen  _ **_me_ ** _ half naked a bunch of times and never had any complaints. What a freak. _

 

_...Huh? _

 

_ I shook my head, clearing the thoughts. What was  _ **_with_ ** _ me today? Why was I getting angry over stupid things all of a sudden?  _

 

_ Still, I respectfully turned away from Koichi, kneeling down to untie the bundle and grab a clean change of clothes from it. I shuffled over to a corner, still facing the wall, and pulled on a shirt, buttoning it as fast as I could. Then went the pants- I was still wearing old underwear, but there was no way I was changing those in front of- _

 

_ And then the cape. I clipped it on, running a hand through my hair, and pressed my forehead against the wall. _

 

**JIN:** You done yet?

 

**KOICHI (Voice):** Almost… just need to re-braid my hair. It came loose last night…

 

_ I looked back over at Koichi, watching him thread small strands of his hair together. I wondered why he bothered braiding his hair if he only made one braid- I supposed it was a style thing. Probably why I didn’t know much about it. Watching his fingers made me quirk up an eyebrow, though, because I noticed something I’d previously skipped over before. _

 

**JIN:** What’s the ring for?

 

**KOICHI:** [Absent; braiding hair] Hmm?

 

**JIN:** Your ring. What’s it for?

 

_ Glittering on Koichi’s ring left finger was a simple, silver band, with what looked like a small quote inscribed on it. It totally went against the rest of his outfit, and stood out starkly against his tanned skin. _

 

**KOICHI:** Ah… it’s not important. It’s just a promise ring… of sorts.

 

_ Well, that was certainly wasn’t extremely vague and cagey at all. I filed it away in the “things to ask Koichi about later” part of my brain, because I felt like I’d get a migraine if I indulged him much longer this early in the morning. Especially since something in me was hellbent on making me edge towards the cliff of “extreme, violent rage” for whatever reason.  _

 

**JIN:** Huh.

 

_ Koichi finished the braid, tying it off by looping his hair into a knot. With that done, he picked up his hat, adjusting it on his head until he was comfortable, and flashed me a grin.  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Saluting] Alright! All done!

 

_ Congrats. _

 

**JIN:** Good. I need your Monopad.

 

**KOICHI:** Wh- why? 

 

**JIN:** Because there are  _ people  _ downstairs, and it is  _ way too fucking early for it.  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Angry; crossing arms] Well, it seems way too fucking early for you too! Why are you acting so crabby?

 

**JIN:** That’s none of your fucking business. Give me the Monopad. 

 

**KOICHI:** Christ, Jin. Fine. You can have the Monopad. Just try to be… I don’t know, a little nicer about it next time?

 

_ I blinked at his words, replaying my actions. Yeesh. Yeah. I was really being… well. A bit of an asshole.  _

 

**JIN:** ...Sorry. I guess I’m just still shaken up after yesterday.

 

_ Koichi’s features softened, and he gave me a sympathetic look.  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Smiling; eyes closed] Well, if you ever want to talk about it, I’m right here! I’m not your buddy for nothing, Jin!

 

**JIN:** Thanks. 

 

**KOICHI:** So, if you want to go out hiking today, Isana and I were-

 

**JIN:** Not interested. Sorry.

 

_ Koichi opened his eyes, blinking at me in slight confusion, his smile wavering around the edges.  _

 

**KOICHI:** [Awkward; half smiling] Uh, okaaaaaay… do you have plans with someone else?

 

**JIN:** No. I just don’t want to go hiking.

 

**KOICHI:** Yeah but, like, I thought you’d be into exploring this place. Getting a grip on our surroundings? I mean, we could even be investigative buddies. 

 

_ Something rung through my mind. A memory. I shuddered. _

 

**JIN:** No. Don’t fucking say that.

 

**KOICHI:** ...Say what? Jin, you’re really concerning me-

 

**JIN:** Just- leave me alone today. I don’t know. I’m angry, and I don’t want you to get caught in the crossfire. Just let me figure this out.

 

**KOICHI:** [Hesitant; biting thumb] ...If you insist. 

 

**KOICHI:** I guess I’ll just… go and see Isana then? Uh. If you need me, I’ll be back by midday.

 

_ Koichi moved to head towards the door, before suddenly realising something, and digging into his pockets to fish out his Monopad. _

 

**KOICHI:** Uh, and the time is… 9AM! Hope that helps, Jin.

 

**JIN:** What the fuck?

 

**KOICHI:** We must have slept through the announcement, huh… that bed was really comfortable, so I don’t blame either of us!

 

_ That couldn’t be it. I frowned, even as Koichi cheerfully walked past me, leaving the room and whistling under his breath.  _

 

_ I guess I had some free time… I probably shouldn’t spend it wasting away in my room. To tell the truth, I was getting kind of hungry, even if my stomach lurched at the idea. I didn’t want to go down to the dining room, though- too many people. There was the mini kitchen in the talent room. I could just go and get some food out of there.  _

 

**FREE TIME - START**

 

_ I shuffled out of the bedroom, closing the door behind me. Irrationally, I thought it would lock- but it seemed like it only locked from the inside. There wasn’t even a keyhole to get it open. That at least gave me some relief. Nobody could get in if I didn’t want them to. I was also lucky that our room was so close to the talent room- it only took a few short strides to head through the archway and into the cluttered area. At least it didn’t smell like wet paint anymore. _

 

_ There were surprisingly few people in here. Maybe the clashing colours scared them all off. Good. _

 

_ I headed on over the the refrigerator, cringing at the now-rotten apple core Koichi had left on the counter. I picked it up by its stem and dropped it in the tiny rubbish bin near the fridge, before swinging the door open and looking at my selections. I should just get something small and palatable, like a piece of fruit or something. There were a bunch of bananas near my arm, so I reached in and grabbed them, snapping one off.  _

 

_ I swung the door closed, hopping onto the counter and letting my legs dangle over the edge as I ate. The texture was easy to keep down, which I was glad for. I hadn’t puked in years, so I wasn’t sure what would set it off again. My stomach was, frankly, a bit of a bitch. _

 

_ I finished pretty quickly, and dropped the peel in the same bin as the apple core, before sliding off the edge of the counter and preparing to make my exit. My side of the talent room was a bit bare if there wasn’t anything to investigate- which was actually a good thing. I’d rather head over the ballroom and start practicing my violin. _

 

_ I was about to head out when I felt a small hand grip my arm, and I froze. Tried not to punch the poor sucker in the face. I’d done that to Koichi and now he was in love with me, so I didn’t want to take any chances.  _

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on sleeve] Sir Jin, may I ask you something?

 

_ Spend time with Maiku? _

**> > Yes**

>> No 

 

_ I sighed, but decided to humour him. _

 

**JIN:** Sure. Shoot.

 

**MAIKU:** Well… I was just wondering about your hands.

 

_ He gestured over to my bandages, which had become half-unravelled in the night. Shit. _

 

**JIN:** ...They sure are hands. What’s your point?

 

**MAIKU:** [Determined; palm pressed to chest] I was just wondering if I could… arrange for some more suitable gloves for them! Bandages are a very… interesting fashion statement, but I do not believe it meshes with your aesthetic very well.

 

**MAIKU:** Now, if I could get some fingerless gloves on you… perhaps leather? Maybe just a cotton blend,  _ definitely  _ not wool… I might be able to save your entire look!

 

**JIN:** You… think I’m wearing the bandages because of… fashion reasons.

 

**MAIKU:** Why else would you? 

 

_ He really is an idiot. A nice idiot, though, if that counts for anything. _

 

**JIN:** ...Yeah, okay, let’s go with that

 

_ Maiku clapped his hands together, beaming, and then started tugging me towards his section of the talent room. Before I could even blink, he’d pulled out several different pieces of measuring tape, and was wrapping them around my hand, chewing on his bottom lip in concentration. _

 

**MAIKU:** [Biting lip; concentrating] You have quite slender hands, Sir Jin… long, boney fingers that are just a  _ little  _ longer than your palm, which is long too. That’s a water hand.

 

**MAIKU:** Which doesn’t really suit you at all, does it? I mean, a square palm would be  _ perfect-  _ an air hand would fit you just so. Maybe a little bit less extraverted than they are, though.

 

_ I have no clue what he’s talking about.  _

 

**JIN:** Uh. Yeah.

 

**MAIKU:** [Drawing back tape] Well, no matter. You’re born with what you’re born with! And you were born with long hands. They’re proportionate, which is what you really have to worry about.

 

**MAIKU:** Do you want me to give you a palm reading?

 

**JIN:** What are you, the Super High School Level Fortune Teller?

 

_ Maiku blushed, letting go of my hand and scratching at the back of his neck. _

 

**MAIKU:** [Giggling; blushing faintly] No, no… I just happen to find it interesting.

 

**MAIKU:** But seriously, you should take up the piano. With long fingers like yours, you could probably reach an octave and a half. I can barely reach just one!

 

_ So Maiku plays the piano, huh. _

 

**JIN:** I’m more of a violinist myself. I was actually thinking of going out to play something.

 

_ Maiku’s eyes lit up, and he started jumping up and down in excitement.  _

 

**MAIKU:** [Swooning; hand pressed to forehead] Sir Jin! You must, you  _ must  _ let me play a duet with you! Oh, the stars, it’s like we were fated to meet!

 

**MAIKU:** I’ve been waiting to try out a piece I wrote for  _ ages,  _ but I always thought it should have a violin accompaniment. And then here you come! Heavensent, the string player of my  _ dreams!  _ What a sweet twist of destiny! 

 

**JIN:** I think you’ve overselling it, Maiku. Just a little.

 

**MAIKU:** [Put out; pointing] What’s the point of enjoying life if you don’t let joy consume you in absolute rapture, Sir Jin? This is a miracle, and I aim to enjoy it to its utmost capacity! 

 

**JIN:** I just mean… there are definitely other violin players out there. It’s not that special that I’m one.

 

**MAIKU:** Ah, but see! You carry it in yourself! Grace, elegance, poise!

 

_ He jabbed me in the stomach. _

 

**MAIKU:** The marks of a true musician! One who wields a bow and lets the muses of heaven whisper directly in his ear! Quick, you must come with me! We cannot let your talent lie dormant anymore, Sir Jin!

 

**JIN:** You know what? Fine. Okay. 

 

_ It wasn’t like I had any better way to spend my day. _

 

_ The two of us left the talent room together, stopping by the ballroom to pick up the violin. It felt nice in my hands- this was clearly good quality, and barely even needed any tuning. It wasn’t like my old one at home, but I’d be comfortable enough playing this. I felt a flicker of excitement start to rise up in me as we descended the stairs and stepped into the dining room, quickly moving towards the stage. _

 

_ A few people were still milling around, evidently getting late breakfasts of their own. They looked up as we passed, but none attempted to make conversation. Maiku plonked himself down at the seat of the grand piano, tapping out a few notes just to test it, before beaming at me. _

 

**MAIKU:** [Determined; palm pressed to chest] Alright! I’ll give you a taste for the melody, and then you can follow up. Don’t bother about sheet music, just take the music where your heart takes you, and I’ll try to accompany that the best I can!

 

**MAIKU:** Let our souls merge into one, Sir Jin!

 

_ Does he have to phrase it like that? _

 

**JIN:** Alright. Nod when you want me to start playing.

 

[ **♪♫♬♫♪** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMGetv40FkI)

 

_ I shifted the violin under my chin, watching as Maiku began to play a piece, with the ease and grace of someone who’d spent hours mastering it. It was quite a simple tune- a sweet melody with some basic chord accompaniment with his left hand. A waltz.  _

 

_ He had a strange expression on his face as he played, as if he was somewhere else- somewhere far nicer than the hell we were stuck in. He looked… in love. _

 

_ And then he nodded at me. I fumbled slightly in surprise, caught up in watching him, but began to play over a few simple chords he layed out. First a few flourishes, then I repeated the melody he’d previously played, just to get a feel for the piece. He grinned at me. _

 

_ As he began to layer in a few different chords, I grew more confident, and began to deviate slightly from what he’d played, adding my own sound to it. I wasn’t sure how well it was coming out on a technical level, but it sounded pretty good for improv. Maiku looked absolutely ecstatic, and I could tell that a small crowd had joined us, watching with various shades of interest.  _

 

_ I faltered slightly at the attention, and Maiku let his playing trail off. _

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging at sleeves] Ah, Sir Jin? Are you alright?

 

**JIN:** Yeah. I’m fine. 

 

_ It felt odd to have so many eyes on me. Usually I only practised in my room, or with my instructor. But it was nice- all of them looked engrossed in the music, except for Shizuya- but she was never interested in anything. I nodded at Maiku, and he started playing a slightly more jaunty version of the melody, letting me join back in when I felt comfortable. _

 

_ I could see Isana humming it, sat on the edge of the table, excitement twinkling in her eyes. I smiled at her, and she hid her face in her hands. Huh… that was. Cute. _

 

_ I put more effort into my playing, and the music finally meshed like I’d wanted it to, producing a smooth and dramatic piece. Maiku seemed completely lost in the melody, and had started swaying slightly as he played. His eyes were closed, and it seemed like he’d just memorised where every note was, and exactly what would produce the best sound. The piece ended with a dramatic flourish from my violin, and Maiku playing a final chord, letting it ring out in the air. _

 

**JIN:** ...Wow.

 

**ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] Jinny! That was amazing!

 

_ I blushed. Maiku gave me a strange look. I poked him in the cheek with the end of my bow, and he pouted at me. _

 

**JIN:** You have Maiku to thank, really.

 

**RUKA:** [Smiling daintily; curtseying] Nonsense. It was both of your efforts that produced such a beautiful piece.

 

**ISANA:** I thought violins were like, all SKREEECH and EEEEEEIIIIIKKKK, but that was so beautiful! Omigosh! 

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Thinking; clutching cravat] Hm. Two stars. 

 

**ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping]  _ Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! _

 

**SHIZUYA:** Your vibrato is rusty, and that falter in the middle deducts major points. At times it seemed like you hadn’t even played the piece before, what with all the discordant melodies. Besides, the song sounds like it doesn’t even know what it wants to be. 

 

**SHIZUYA:** I stand by two stars.

 

**JIN:** I haven’t actually played it before.

 

_ Isana looked like she was having a heart attack at that. Ruka rushed over to keep her from sliding to the ground, and Maiku hopped up on the top of the piano. _

 

**MAIKU:** [Pointing] Sir Jin! Quick! Your maiden has fallen! I believe she requires  _ true love’s kiss! _

 

_ I groaned. Shizuya smirked at me, and turned to walk out of the room, her heels clicking on the floorboards.  _

 

**JIN:** Maiku, she’s fine. 

 

**ISANA:** [Holding up thumbs-up] Yep! A-Okay! 

 

**MAIKU:** [Put out; pouting] Oh. That’s a shame.

 

_ Ruka hefted Isana out of the room, carrying her over her shoulder. Isana winked at me, throwing up a peace sign. The rest of the occupants went back to their breakfast. _

 

**JIN:** ...Why the hell would it be a shame?

 

**MAIKU:** I’m a romantic, Jin! I can’t just let two star-crossed lovers slip away when they have all the chances in the world to be together!

 

_ What the fuck.  _

 

**JIN:** I smiled at her. She isn’t- she’s not my girlfriend, Maiku.

 

**MAIKU:** Exactly! Which is the issue here! 

 

**???:** He’s right, you know! You youngsters should be getting all the loving you can get! It won’t last long, upupu!~

 

_ I jumped, whirling around to face Monokuma. He’d jumped up on the piano alongside Maiku, who was looking at him with a face of poorly concealed disgust.  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] If you’re  _ really  _ desperate, you can just go and date me! I’m a bear of all trades! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** Of course, I’m definitely gonna judge ya if you’re that desperate. Or if you just have a fetish for it. Either way, yikes and yowza! 

 

**JIN:** Can you just get the fuck out of my life for one second?! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Now  _ that’s  _ something that  _ isn’t  _ in my programming! Poor you!

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on sleeve] Er…Sir Monokuma, I was trying to have a conversation with Sir Jin-

 

**MONOKUMA:** And so am I.

 

**JIN:** No you’re not. You came here just to antagonise me.

 

**MONOKUMA:** Same thing! You don’t have to be so crabby, Jin.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Or… maybe you do! Upupu!

 

**JIN:** What the hell does that mean?

 

**MONOKUMA:** You’ll find out soooooooooooon!~

 

_ I would give anything in the world to be able to punch Monokuma directly in the face right now. From the looks of things, Maiku seemed to want nothing more than to get on the other side of the planet as him, as fast as possible. I could sympathise with that. _

 

_ Monokuma seemed to read the atmosphere, and for once he took mercy on us, hopping off the piano and waddling out the door. I let out a sigh of relief, unballing my fists. Maiku looked like he was about to faint, so I gingerly helped him off of the piano too. He leant against me, squishing his cheek against my chest. Uh. _

 

**MAIKU:** [Muffled slightly] I hate him. Sir Jin, I  _ really  _ hate him.

 

**JIN:** You’re not alone. 

 

_ Maiku wrapped his arms around me. What the fuck was going on. _

 

**MAIKU:** [Closing eyes; nuzzling into chest] I’m glad you’re here, Sir Jin. My soulmate.

 

_ What the fuck!!!!! _

 

**JIN:** I think you’re- uh, you’re getting a little carried away- uh- what?

 

**MAIKU:** Platonically. Of course. 

 

_ Jesus Christ.  _

 

**???:** Alright, that’s enough. 

 

_ A large pair of hands reached around to grab Maiku, effortlessly lifting him off the ground, letting him dangle in confusion. _

 

**SADAMU:** [Smiling gently]  _ Mon lapin,  _ it’s time to go. I believe that you are making Jin slightly uncomfortable.

 

**MAIKU:** [Put out; pouting] I’m not! See, Sir Sadamu, we’re soulmates because our souls entw-

 

**SADAMU:** I understand! But he is a private man, see? Not one for touching. 

 

_ I never expected my saviour to come in the form of a seven foot tall French hunk of beef with a thing for bee puns, but it seemed that fate worked in weird ways. _

 

_...Wait, why the fuck did I just call him a “hunk of beef”? I really was out of it. _

 

_ Maiku continued to squirm as Sadamu carried him out of the room, and I sighed, placing down my violin next to the piano. I’d played enough for one day- it looked like my best bet was to just find someone random to talk to and go along with whatever bullshit they’d planned for the day. _

 

_ Or maybe I could just take some time to relax. I felt really high-strung right now, and a few deep breaths did nothing to help calm me down. It actually made me feel more agitated. Maybe a nice hot bath would help. I’d never tried it before, but there had to be something that kept people coming back to hot springs. Hopefully nobody else would be in there, so I couldn’t have an embarrassing repeat of last time.  _

 

_ Steam smacked me directly in the face when I entered the room, and I shuddered at the sudden temperature change. It wasn’t like the lobby was cold, but the dying fire was nothing compared to the humid warmth in here. I walked over to the lockers on one end, grabbing a pair of boxer shorts, and then headed into a stall to change. I made sure to fold my clothes and leave them in an area I  _ **_wouldn’t_ ** _ forget.  _

 

_ The baths were, indeed, empty, so I allowed myself to sink down into one. The hot water swirled around me, and I could feel my tense muscles start to loosen. I groaned in appreciation, sinking down so that just my nose was sticking out of the water. This was a bit of a dangerous position to be in- the steam could get to my head, and I could faint and drown. _

 

_ But I didn’t care. _

 

_ I blew a few bubbles into the water, and then the door creaked open. _

 

_ I froze, listening as someone padded over to the lockers, grabbing a swimsuit and then shucking their clothes. From the sounds of things, they hadn’t used a stall. I stared blankly ahead of me, heat rising to my cheeks, and hoped they didn’t notice me. _

 

_ And then they cannonballed directly into the bath. _

 

_ I was left spluttering, hot water coating my face and soaking into my now-dripping wet hair. I spat out a mouthful, looking over at the strange… black blob rising up from the water. I blinked. _

 

**JIN:** What the fuck…?

 

**RENMA:** [Hair covering entire face] Mortal.

 

_ Oh my god.  _

 

**JIN:** H...Hello, Renma.

 

**RENMA:** [Crossing arms] I wasn’t expecting someone like  _ you  _ to be bathing in this infernal water. The heat should be too unbearable for a mere human!

 

**JIN:** It’s not that hot.

 

**RENMA:** …

 

**RENMA:** Ah, apologies. I must have just  _ mistaken  _ you for a mortal. You must just be mimicking their form… a dark trickster. Interesting.

 

**RENMA:** [Brushing hair out of face] If you wish to continue consulting with me, feel free to, dark one. 

 

_ Spend time with Renma? _

**> > ...Yes?**

>> No

 

**RENMA:** [Smirking; arms crossed] Feh. Excellent choice.

 

_ What the hell was I getting myself into… _

 

_ I scanned Renma, taking her in. She’d managed to brush her fringe back so that it wasn’t covering her face anymore, and I finally got a good look at her. Like I remembered, her eyes were bulging and disproportionately large, with tiny little pupils. They were glazed over with a glossy sheen, and looked out of focus. Her makeup had smudged across her face from the water, blood red mixing with her white foundation.  _

 

_ … _

 

_ And she was shirtless. What the fuck. I covered my eyes. _

 

**JIN:** Uh, R-Renma? You might want to consider, uhm, putting on a shirt-

 

_ I heard her barking laughter, and she grabbed my arm, yanking my hand away from my eyes. I tried not to look. _

 

**RENMA:** I do not abide by stupid, human levels of decency. Do not attempt to ignore my true form, dark one. 

 

_ She grabbed my hand, pressing it against her chest. I choked. _

 

_ And then I noticed something. _

 

_ It was flat- well, almost. It actually seemed to curve  _ **_inwards_ ** _ , and I could feel knobbly ribs underneath my palm. It looked like she had absolutely no breast tissue. I looked down as my confusion and curiosity got the best of me, confirming what I could tell with my hand. What the hell. _

 

**JIN:** Why does your chest look like that?

 

_ Renma quirked an eyebrow, looking down herself.  _

 

**RENMA:** [Confused; squinting] ...I told you I was a demon. 

 

**JIN:** Renma, your ribs are deformed. That’s a serious issue. 

 

**RENMA:** [Annoyed; brushing fringe back to cover eyes] Pah! It’s nothing! I’m immortal, I need not worry about simple things like that!

 

_ It was then that I remembered something Renma had said… about Marfan Syndrome. From what little I knew of it, apparently people with the condition often had deformed rib cages and enlarged hearts. I wonder what kind of healthcare being a cult leader got you, if Renma knew what she had but refused to believe it.  _

 

**JIN:** Well then, what about the lack of… well. 

 

_ Did I really want to ask her that? _

 

_ Renma stilled in confusion, trying to process what I was implying. She pressed her own hand to her chest, thinking it over, and then laughed- her voice rich and deep. _

 

**RENMA:** [Amused; lips quirked] Hah! Are you referring to my masculine vessel?

 

_ I blinked in confusion once more. This was starting to become a pattern. _

 

**RENMA:** Do not fret, dark one. Once I’ve ascended, I’ll leave behind my need for such a vessel. It does not bother me that my anatomy was misaligned in this life. 

 

**JIN:** What are you talking about?

 

**RENMA:** [Annoyed; arms crossed] If you consider to ask baseless questions, I can remove my lower garments to fully illustrate my point.

 

**JIN:** No! This is fine, I get it, I’ll stop asking!

 

_ I still have no idea what’s going on. From Renma’s language, it looks like she has a “masculine vessel”... does that mean she’s… what? I ran a hand through my hair, thinking it over. She still definitely presented as a girl, that’s for sure- what with calling herself a “Dark Mistress” and “Queen of Hell” and whatever, even if she was implying she was a boy? But then again, she’d said it was misaligned… _

 

_ Ugh. Maybe I should just find someone who knows about this stuff and ask. Renma still wanted to be seen as a girl, so I guess she was a girl. Until I got more information, I’d just stick with that.  _

 

_ I should probably just ask someone close to Renma. _

 

**RENMA:** If you do want to talk about things with more substance, we can. 

 

**RENMA:** [Poking finger in mouth] F’r ex’mple, I th’nk a new t’th is c’min’ ‘n. 

 

**JIN:** A new tooth?

 

_ Surely Renma is a bit too old for that. She pulled her finger out of her mouth, wiping it on her chest. _

 

**RENMA:** [Grinning sharply] My teeth come in erratically. I believe this is a good omen, especially so close to my natal anniversary.

 

_ In normal-people speak, her birthday.  _

 

**JIN:** Happy birthday, by the way. Sorry I didn’t eat any of your sandwiches.

 

**RENMA:** Fah, that is a non-issue, dark one! I could tell that your lapdog was performing his servile duties in excess. That’s far too much sustenance for one person!

 

_...Lapdog? _

 

**JIN:** Koichi isn’t my- he’s not my servant.

 

**RENMA:** [Grabbing my hand] Then why did the two of you perform a bonding ritual?

 

_ She pulled away the bandages, inspecting my palm. I curled in my fingers, covering the scar, and she let go.  _

 

**RENMA:** Blood rituals are not to be made lightly, especially with your infernal power, dark one. 

 

**RENMA:** He is bonded to you for life now.

 

_ Great. Fantastic. This was exactly what I wanted.  _

 

**JIN:** It still doesn’t mean that he’s my “servant”. I’m not any better than him. I actually owe  _ him  _ one.

 

**RENMA:** [Confused; pushing up fringe to squint] This is the first I’ve ever heard of a demon being indebted to a mortal.

 

**JIN:** He saved my life.

 

**RENMA:** But that would just prevent your passage back to Hell, so why would you want that?

 

**JIN:** ... Why do you think I’d want that?

 

**RENMA:** [Smirking; crossing arms] Your beloved surely would have gone there. His sacrifice was admirable, if not exactly abiding by the usual rituals. You wishing to reunite with him is perfectly reasonable, and-

 

_ A loud slap rang through the room. My hand stung with sharp pinpricks of pain, and I blinked in confusion, looking down to see it coated in white makeup. Oh my god. _

 

_ Oh shit.  _

 

**JIN:** Oh my god, I’m so fucking sorry, shit- I-

 

**RENMA:** [Awed; holding cheek] …

 

_ What the hell was my problem?! I dunked my hand under the water, trying to wash away the evidence of what I’d just done. Renma continued to stare off with a deeply confused expression, rubbing the pads of her finger against where I’d hit her.  _

 

**RENMA:** ...Did I say something wrong?

 

_ She sounded so… hurt. A hot wave of guilt washed over me, and I ducked my head, trying not to look her in her eyes. _

 

**JIN:** I’m sorry. 

 

**RENMA:** I didn’t mean to make you upset, dark one.

 

**JIN:** You don’t have to apologise to me. I’m sorry.

 

**RENMA:** …

 

**RENMA:** I said something wrong. I  _ know  _ I did. What did I say wrong?

 

_ I lifted my gaze up to meet hers, and for once I saw Renma as she truly was. Not a demoness full of bravado, but a scared kid who didn’t know how the real world worked. Of course she assumed that that was an appropriate thing to say to me- she probably thought it was helping. God knows what years in her cult had done to her psyche.  _

 

_ It was hard to remember that despite her goofy exterior, what had happened to Renma was… actually pretty fucked up. _

 

**JIN:** You just… shouldn’t tell people that they should kill themselves. That’s a starting point.

 

**RENMA:** [Confused; squinting] But it’s sound advice.

 

**JIN:** It really isn’t.

 

**RENMA:** Oh. Why?

 

_ I never thought that I’d be in the situation where I had to explain this to someone, but if I didn’t say it now, there’s no knowing when Renma would learn.  _

 

**JIN:** Not everyone views death the same way as you. I’m sure that you might, uh. Think of it as just another step in the journey. But some people just see it as an end. An escape.

 

**JIN:** Some people might have good futures just… here. On this world. In this life. And it’s not fair to tell them to end it just because they might end up with people they missed. 

 

**RENMA:** [Annoyed; crossing arms] Feh. The ultimate point of our existence is to appease the dark gods so that we will have a favourable afterlife. 

 

**JIN:** See, that’s what  _ you  _ believe. But not everyone is going to think the same way.

 

**RENMA:** ...Why not?

 

**JIN:** Because people are individuals, with opinions?

 

**RENMA:** [Arms outstretched] Not if they join the Tanaka empire. If you would like to convert, we can deal with those “opinions” in time.

 

**JIN:** …

 

_ Maybe I should try a different approach. _

 

**JIN:** Renma, what did you do before your cult? 

 

**RENMA:** [Troubled; clutching wrist] ...What do you mean,  _ before _ ?

 

**JIN:** Before you were indoctrinated. Before  _ you  _ converted.

 

**RENMA:** I already told you. I wasn’t. I was pulled from my demonic womb by my master, and immediately appointed the unholy position as next in line to the Tanaka empire.

 

_ So she was born into the cult, huh? That made things a bit harder. _

 

**JIN:** Alright then, new question. What do you think you would have done if you  _ hadn’t  _ been born into your cult?

 

**RENMA:** Then I wouldn’t have been born at all. I was brought into this realm for a  _ purpose.  _

 

_ This was like talking to a brick wall. A severely traumatised brick wall with a warped sense of the world and the people living in it. _

 

**JIN:** And what is that purpose?

 

**RENMA:** [Smirking; arms crossed] To facilitate the rise of our cult, to take over this earthly realm and spread the truth of our worship, to appease the dark gods, and to die and become the Queen of Hell and the Lesser Dark Realms. 

 

**RENMA:** I was arranged in an unearthly marriage to the Lord of these realms since I was born, destined to become his mistress. 

 

_ Well, that’s certainly fucked up. _

 

**JIN:** And you’re happy with this… arrangement?

 

**RENMA:** [Troubled; clutching wrist] …

 

**RENMA:** [Vulnerable; eyes misty] I… I don’t… I have to be.

 

**RENMA:** It’s my duty. 

 

**JIN:** Listen, Renma. You don’t have to listen to what  _ they  _ want you to be. You can choose for yourself, okay?

 

**JIN:** Not to, uh. Sound preachy or anything. But you’re your own person. You shouldn’t have been brought into this world just to die. That’s not  _ fair.  _

 

_ Something about this might be hitting just a little too close to home. _

 

**RENMA:** …

 

**RENMA:** [Brushing fringe back over eyes] I think I want to be left alone now, dark one. This consultation is over. 

 

_ I nodded, gingerly stepping out of the tub and heading over to the lockers to grab a towel. Renma slid deeper into the water, her hair flowing out and creating a black halo around her. I could see the rest of her makeup slowly wash away in the hot water, and another pang of guilt rang through me. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to give her an existential crisis in the middle of a killing game. _

 

_ I couldn’t believe that Hope’s Peak had actually accepted her into here. I mean, it might have worked out for the best- from the sounds of things, she didn’t get to leave her cult’s influence for long. But on the other hand, they were essentially just rewarding her for following her cult, what with giving her the title and all. It was just tied to her her identity now. That was admittedly… kinda fucked up.  _

 

_ I’d told Hana that I wanted to become the principal of Hope’s Peak once I got out, didn’t I? Maybe if I actually kept pursuing that path I could change things like that for the better. Keep people from being stuck in situations like that. _

 

_ Speaking of Hana… _

 

**JIN:** Renma, you should probably go talk to Hana. She… she helped me figure myself out. She might be able to help you too.

 

_ No response. Renma didn’t even lift her head to look at me. I sighed, quickly changing in the stall, and then heading out of the bathhouse. Well, that had been supremely awkward. I should probably stay away from Renma for a little bit- I wasn’t sure how comfortable she was with me now. _

 

_ I decided to head back into the library. It wasn’t like there was much else to do in here, unless I went outside and decided to look around. And I really didn’t plan on freezing to death today. _

 

_ Grabbing a random book off the shelf, I settled down into an armchair, trying to ignore the wet drips of water running down my hair and the back of my neck. Now that I wasn’t near the baths anymore, the water was quickly turning chilly and uncomfortable. I shivered, and flicked open the book. _

 

_ It was something pretty simple- some sci fi story about robots rising up to kill humanity. A bit on-topic, considering Monokuma, but it was removed enough from the killing game that I was able to enjoy it. And it only slightly creeped me out that the publication date was 2037.  _

 

_ After a while of reading, though, I began to feel an odd prickling sensation on the back of my neck. Like someone was watching me. I turned around, and a saw a quick tan blur as something- or, rather, someone- ducked behind the couch I was sitting on. _

 

**JIN:** ...Hello?

 

_ I put the book down, peering over the edge- to see Taichi, curled up and trembling, his hands pulling slightly at his hair. Had he been reading over my shoulder? No, he couldn’t read English. Which meant he had just been staring at me creepily. Okay. That definitely wasn’t concerning at all. _

 

**JIN:** You know I can see you, right?

 

**TAICHI:** [Shocked; tugging on hair] C-Cover blown! 

 

_ Taichi shot up, removing his hands from his hair to grip the edge of the couch with white knuckles. I blinked at him, face deadpan. This might as well be happening. _

 

**JIN:** What the hell were you doing?

 

**TAICHI:** N-Nothing that’s any of your b-business.

 

**JIN:** You were literally just staring at the back of my head while I read. I feel like I should at least know  _ why  _ you thought that was a good way to spend your afternoon.

 

**TAICHI:** Nghnn…

 

**TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] I… s-suppose I can let you know… if y-you promise not to leak any p-pertinent information.

 

_ Spend time with Taichi? _

**> > Yes**

>> No

 

**TAICHI:** [Confident; pushing glasses up] A-Alright then! Let us proceed to a more d-discreet location! 

 

**JIN:** Are you taking me back to your room?

 

**TAICHI:** Of course not! A-Agent Takaaki is currently occupying it, and, w-well..

 

**TAICHI:** [Put out; shoulders slumped] He’s in a bit of a…  _ m-mood _ . 

 

**JIN:** When is he ever  _ not  _ in a ‘mood’?

 

**TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] …

 

**TAICHI:** All the d-data on that one is leaning towards… n-never. 

 

**JIN:** Well, good luck dealing with him. And if you’re not taking me to your room… what ‘discreet’ place are we talking about?

 

**TAICHI:** [Paranoid; glancing over shoulder] I can’t j-just tell you where it is! You could- could leak the location! 

 

_ Taichi reached out to grab my hand, before climbing over the couch and sitting down next with me. He gestured for me to lean in, and I did, reluctantly. _

 

**TAICHI:** [Whispering] B-Besides, Monokuma probably h-has cameras everywhere. 

 

**JIN:** Doesn’t that mean that Monokuma would already  _ know  _ where your secret hideout is?

 

**TAICHI:** [Whispering] You mean my d-discreet location.

 

**JIN:** I really don’t. 

 

**TAICHI:** [Whispering] Well, to be honest… I… uhm. I h-hadn’t. Uh. Thought about th-that. So.

 

_ Taichi began fidgeting with the straps of his suspenders, an increasingly worried expression flitting across his face. I sighed, and leaned away, looking over my shoulder before giving Taichi a conspiratorial wink. I might as well play along. _

 

**JIN:** Well, I guess we’ll be going to just- go hang out somewhere completely unimportant. Right?

 

**TAICHI:** [Confused; tugging on suspenders] What are you…

 

**TAICHI:** [Realising; hand covering mouth] Oh! Y-Yes, of course.  _ Completely  _ unimportant. An en-entirely random location.

 

**JIN:** [Whispering] You might be overplaying it a little there.

 

**TAICHI:** [Scratching cheek; wincing] M-Maybe so. 

 

_ Taichi stood, running his hands through his wild hair, before offering one to me. I held up a hand to decline, standing up on my own. Taichi nodded, retracting his hand, and instead using it to gesture to the exit of the library. _

 

_ I followed him wordlessly, watching as he reached up to unlatch the front door and push it open. It was still snowing outside, a fresh blanket of white coating everywhere the eye could see. I groaned at the prospect of having to step outside in this weather, and shoved my hands into my pockets. Maybe the gloves that Maiku was making me would actually be useful. _

 

_ Taichi was trembling from the cold as he led the way out the door and towards a small structure on top of a nearby hill. I winced in sympathy. I wasn’t faring very well myself- the initial shock and joy at seeing how beautiful this place with had melted away with my good mood, and I was mostly feeling soaked and freezing. Hopefully Taichi had managed to find somewhere warm- or at least somewhere outside of the eternal torrent of snow.  _

 

_ As we approached the structure, it gradually came into focus. It looked like an old, beaten-up shed- the kind you’d store garden tools or old boxes of junk in. Definitely not the warmest place in the entire world, but it was something. Taichi reached into the front of his shorts to pull out a rusty-looking key, sliding it into the door and clicking it open.  _

 

_ The inside was… pretty normal, all things considered. I wasn’t sure what I had expected. Just an old shed with a few coats hanging on the wall. Almost instantly, Taichi grabbed one of them off a hook and slid it on, shaking the built-up snow out of his hair. His glasses had gone foggy from his breath, but I could still feel the intensity of his stare through them as he reached around me and pulled the door shut.  _

 

**TAICHI:** [Staring intensely] What you are about to w-witness is strictly c-confidential. You must promise n-not to leak any information. 

 

**TAICHI:** Or else I  _ w-will  _ kill you. 

 

**JIN:** Wh- Taichi, that’s not a threat to take lightly-!

 

**TAICHI:** What m-makes you think I’m taking it lightly?! Th-This is top secret m-material! Standard g-government procedure is to kill th-those who discover their secrets and decide to whistleblow.

 

**TAICHI:** [Cackling maniacally] Sometimes y-you have to stoop to the enemy’s levels! Gwahahaha! 

 

_ I edged closer towards the door. Was there a screwdriver or something in here I could use to defend myself? _

 

**JIN:** Alright! I promise I won’t tell anyone. You have my word.

 

**TAICHI:** Y-your word and your life!

 

**JIN:** Oh my fucking god. Sure, yes, whatever you say. 

 

_ Taichi grinned at me, before turning around and grabbing the end of a tarp. I wasn’t sure how I hadn’t noticed it before- the tarp was covering a small object on some kind of bench. With a dramatic flourish, Taichi tugged the tarp to the ground, revealing… something.  _

 

_ It was a mess of tangled wires, with three screens blinking and pulsing with sparks of power, lighting up with odd interfaces. This must have been the same machine I had seen him carrying yesterday, but somehow it seemed even  _ **_more_ ** _ complex. I raised an eyebrow. _

 

**JIN:** Uh… what exactly am I looking at here?

 

**TAICHI:** [Proud; making jazz hands] Ta-da! It’s m-my newest invention. A w-way to get us out of this m-mess.

 

**TAICHI:** By r-reverse engineering the M-Monopads and messing w-with their source code, I was able t-to make a rudimentary computer! O-Of course, it was a flop with just one, s-so I had to outsource to collecting th-the Monopads of the dead.

 

**TAICHI:** [Put out; slumping shoulders] N-Not the most respectful resource, but it w-worked in a pinch. 

 

**JIN:** So… you stole their… how the fuck?

 

**TAICHI:** [Accusing; shakily pointing] I-I didn’t  _ steal  _ anything! I j-just got this in the stupid auction Monokuma w-was doing!

 

**TAICHI:** Again, it’s regrettable that  _ that  _ was my only s-source of supplies. 

 

**JIN:** Alright… moving past the whole stealing dead people’s property thing- 

 

**TAICHI:** N-Not stealing!

 

**JIN:** Right. Moving past that- how is a computer meant to help us get out of here.

 

**TAICHI:** [Confident; pushing glasses up] Hm! Well, I’m n-not sure that information would normally be a-available to someone of your rank, but I suppose I can make an exception.

 

**TAICHI:** [Whispering] I th-theorised that these must be capable of t-transmitting some sort of signal. If I can g-get a message back to Earth, w-we might be able to contact an organisation th-that can hijack a rocket and get us back home.

 

**JIN:** I’m pretty sure the only people with that sort of power are the government-

 

**TAICHI:** [Self-righteous; huffing] B-but they got us into this mess! I’d sooner t-trust every c-conman on this world than a g-government pig. 

 

**JIN:** ...I mean, if Monokuma is telling the truth, you do have a pretty good point.

 

**TAICHI:** [Confident; pushing glasses up] Of c-course I do! 

 

**JIN:** But- this is still a long shot. Are you sure it’ll work?

 

**TAICHI:** If I don’t t-try, I’ll never know, will I?

 

_ Taichi sure knows a hell of a lot about computers for a herbalist. Maybe they got his talent switched up- or maybe he just knows a lot more about plants than he does hacking. This is probably just an extra passion of his.  _

 

**JIN:** All of this still doesn’t explain why you were being so creepy in the library. 

 

**TAICHI:** [Self-righteous; huffing] Hm! That’s just b-because you don’t understand my master plan!

 

_ Taichi moved towards a small shelf tucked into a corner, pulling out a book and slamming it onto the bench, next to his computer. The title read “SATELLITE SIGNALLING AND ENGINEERING”. Taichi squinted down at it with a frustrated expression.  _

 

**TAICHI:** I can’t read English, b-but I need this book. There’s s-some things that even  _ I  _ don’t have a g-good grasp on.

 

**JIN:** How do you know this is the right book if you can’t read?

 

**TAICHI:** [Put out; slumping shoulders] I had Isana r-read the title, but she r-ran off to go bother Maiku b-before I could get a full translation.

 

**JIN:** You know there’s no way I can read this entire thing to you.

 

**TAICHI:** I know that! I j-just need… I don’t know. English l-lessons? Just enough that I c-can actually get by with the dictionaries. E-everything is just kind of… o-overwhelming about it.

 

_ Great. Another commitment I was about to lock myself into. _

 

_ Well… it couldn’t hurt, could it? Especially if it was a way for us to get out of here. And there was something I was meaning to ask Taichi about anyway… maybe we could trade information for information. That seemed like his sort of style. _

 

**JIN:** Fine. I can teach you some stuff. But… there was something I was hoping you could tell me. 

 

**TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] As l-long as it doesn’t breach into m-my personal history… shoot.

 

**JIN:** Well, I was actually wondering about Renma. The two of you were roommates, right?

 

**TAICHI:** [Self-righteous; huffing] Ugh! She w-was insufferable. I don’t understand p-people who can just disregard  _ science  _ and instead b-believe in stupid nonsense. 

 

**JIN:** …

 

**JIN:** Taichi, you’re a  _ herbalist. _

 

**TAICHI:** [Shocked; pulling hair] Gh! 

 

**TAICHI:** [Put out; shoulders slumped] This is why I don’t l-like people bringing that up…

 

**JIN:** Anyway… I’m just asking because you probably know more about this than me.

 

**JIN:** Renma is… well. She’s a girl, isn’t she? I mean. I’m not sure. She calls herself a girl. But-

 

_ Before I could even finish my sentence, I felt a heavy object slam into my head. I yelped, jumping backwards and rubbing my forehead, gazing up to see that in my flustered fumbling Taichi had climbed onto the bench and was currently holding the (very thick) textbook on satellites.  _

 

**TAICHI:** [Threatening; holding book] Jin Kirigiri, y-you are one  _ dense motherfucker.  _

 

**JIN:** What the fuck did I do?! What did I say?!

 

**TAICHI:** Y-You’re just really stupid. That’s all. 

 

**TAICHI:** [Putting book down] L-Like, I didn’t think that a world famous d-detective wouldn’t know  _ basic gender theory _ , but I g-guess anything is possible.

 

**JIN:** Taichi, I have no fucking clue what you’re talking about.

 

**TAICHI:** [Confident; pushing glasses up] Exactly! I g-guess I’ll have to put it in layman's terms for you. 

 

**TAICHI:** [Pointing to chest] Y-You know how everyone keeps m-mistaking me for a girl? Because I have tits? Y-Yeah, they mistook me for that when I was born too.

 

**TAICHI:** [Hopping off of table] S-Same thing for Renma, but in reverse. We just have g-genders that don’t match what people think th-they should be. Just another sign of society pitting itself a-against me, I guess. 

 

_ That was… actually a simpler answer than I thought it would be. I mean, besides the weird paranoid “everyone is out to get me” bit tacked on the end there. _

 

**JIN:** ...Why didn’t you just say that in the first place without hitting me in the face with a book?

 

**TAICHI:** [Confident; pushing glasses up] You need to l-learn how to remain hypervigilant! I w-was just teaching you a lesson! 

 

**JIN:** ...Thanks.

 

**TAICHI:** Y-You’re welcome! 

 

_ Taichi grabbed the tarp, throwing it back onto his computer, and fished the key back out of his pocket.  _

 

**TAICHI:** Lessons st-start tomorrow. I can’t spend too long in here- Monokuma w-will get suspicious.

 

**JIN:** Well, I mean… I’m pretty sure he’s already suspicious and just doesn’t give a shit. Aren’t there cameras in here too?

 

**TAICHI:** I d-destroyed them. 

 

**JIN:** Of course you did.

 

**TAICHI:** [Blushing slightly; grinning] I h-have Agent Takaaki to thank for th-that idea. He proposed it back in our dorms. 

 

**TAICHI:** He’s a pretty smart g-guy when he isn’t so reckless. I mean, he f-figured out that the dorms were soundproofed too!

 

**JIN:** Huh?

 

**TAICHI:** W-well, he woke up early and n-noticed the morning announcement d-didn’t go off. So he told me to go outside w-while he fired shots at the wall. No noise at a-all! 

 

**JIN:** He fired-  _ Takaaki has a gun?! _

 

**TAICHI:** [Confident; pushing up glasses] F-found it in the back of the bookcase in the t-talent room. Pretty well hidden! It’s g-good to have someone on your team who knows how to w-work a weapon.

 

**JIN:** This is quite possibly the worst outcome that could have ever possibly happened.

 

**TAICHI:** Only for y-you! 

 

**JIN:** Well. Lucky me. 

 

_ The day just keeps getting better and better.  _

 

_ Without another word, Taichi pushed open the door and ushered me out, locking it behind us. He then raced off towards the cabin, leaving me trudging behind him. That was… a lot of information to process at once. At least I had one question answered, even if I was left with approximately a thousand more left to process.  _

 

_ The warmth of the cabin was a borderline heavenly experience after my time spent in the bitter cold. I shivered, stretching out my fingers and letting the blood flow back to my extremities. I probably needed another warm bath- the snow in my hair was melting and running down my spine. Parts of my hair had frozen solid, which was a little troubling. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone outside with wet hair in the first place. _

 

_ I definitely didn’t want to run back into Renma, though. She might have decided to sacrifice me or something, which was not what I really wanted to deal with right now.  _

 

_ I should probably just use the shower in my room, vomit smell be damned. Hopefully Koichi had cleaned it out by now. I approached the staircase, ready to head back up to the dorms, when a scream rippled through the upstairs hallway. I froze, heart starting to beat a mile a minute. Surely someone couldn’t have- _

 

_ I didn’t get any more warning before a something speed across the hallway above me, taking a sharp turn to the stairs. A bicycle bell rang out through the lobby as I stumbled back, just in time to dodge the human-and-bike-shaped blur rushing down the stairs, an excited shout coming from it.  _

 

_ A loud crash echoed in my ears, and I turned to face Hitomiko, upended on the lobby floor. A bicycle- or, well, something that one was a bicycle- had skidded across the ground and laid in a mangled wreck. Hitomiko peeled her face off the floor, grinning at me. She was bleeding from the nose, and one of her ankles was twisted at an unfortunate angle.  _

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Bloody; giddy with excitement] That was fucking awesome! 

 

**JIN:** Are you alright?!

 

_ Hitomiko turned to face me, and gave me a thumbs up, before spitting out some blood. _

 

**HITOMIKO:** Aces. 

 

**HIROKO (Voice):** Haha! Yeah! Get it, girl!

 

_ I turned my attention back to the top of the stairs, where Hiroko was standing with her fist raised. Hitomiko waved up at her, and after a moment of hesitation, I did too. Hiroko seemed to take that as her cue to slide down the rail, jumping off at the end and walking over to us.  _

 

**HIROKO:** [Reaching out hand] C’mon, lemmie help you up.

 

_ Hitomiko took her hand, wiping some blood off her face with the other one. Hiroko pulled her up, before clapping her on the back and giving her a wide grin. _

 

**HIROKO:** [Pumped; clenching both fists] Glad we’re finally getting a use outta that bastard. 

 

**HIROKO:** God, honestly, I’m glad he died. Kotohiko really did a-

 

_ I cleared my throat, and Hiroko looked at me with a mix of dull horror and guilt on her face.  _

 

**HIROKO:** [Guilty; wincing] Uh.

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Oblivious; back turned] Right! I mean, it was such a  _ cool  _ murder too! Blood and guts  _ everywhere!  _

 

**HIROKO:** Uh, Hitomiko-

 

**HITOMIKO:** His execution was cool too. What a dick, pinning it on me, though! If you ask me-

 

**HIROKO:** [Panicked; grabbing Hitomiko’s shoulders]  _ Hitomiko! _

 

_ I hadn’t noticed it, but my hands had balled against my sides. I blinked, realising with a jolt that I was just about to slam Hitomiko’s head into the wall.  _

 

_ What the fuck?  _

 

**HITOMIKO:** Hm? 

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Turning around] Oh, hey Jin! Forgot you were there! Do you want-

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Panicked; clutching collar]  _ Oh my god,  _ did I say all that out loud? Shit! 

 

_ I pushed past them wordlessly. I didn’t manage to make it far before I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I had to restrain myself from throwing them to the ground. Not that I could manage that with my build. _

 

**JIN:** What do you  _ want.  _

 

**RUKA (Voice):** Nothing. I just think you should see this.

 

_ I turned around to see Ruka hovering behind me, her flashy princess dress traded out for a pair of ill-fitting swim trunks and a warm winter coat. I stared at her with dull confusion, and she nodded at me, before swirling around and tackling Hiroko to the ground.  _

 

_ Me and Hitomiko traded a shocked glance, before turning our attention to the pair of girls attempting to tear out each other’s hair. _

 

**HIROKO:** _ Hghh-  _ so the princess fights back, huh-  _ fuck!  _

 

_ Ruka had managed to pin Hiroko the ground, and seemed consumed by an almost primal rage. Hiroko was giving as many blows as she was getting, but it was evident that Ruka had both a height and weight advantage, even if Hiroko happened to be more skilled in combat than her.  _

 

**RUKA:** I am  _ sick  _ of you encouragin’ everyone to get hurt here! I am tired of you runnin’ around and-  _ get your fuckin’ hands off me you-! _

 

_ I slowly backed away, Hitomiko seeming to take this in stride and starting to cheer Hiroko on. As quickly as I could, I ran back up the stairs and slammed into my bedroom, slumping against the door as it clicked back behind me.  _

 

_ I ran a hand through my hair, letting my adrenaline drain out of me. What was with everyone today? It was like all of our emotions had been amplified to incredible lengths. Maiku was acting clingy and at least a small bit more dramatic than he usually was, half of the people here had burst off into angry fits, and I wasn’t even sure what the hell was going on with Taichi. He was probably just usually like that, though. It wasn’t like I would know.  _

 

_ Even I’d been hit by whatever was going on. Could this be one of Monokuma’s tricks? I had no way of knowing. Maybe we’d all just hit our breaking point. Seeing someone die right in front of us… I knew better than anyone how impactful that could really be.  _

 

_ Maybe I should just have a shower to clear my head. I walked towards the bathroom door, opening it and pinching my nose closed against the smell. How it hadn’t leaked in to the rest of the room, I had no idea. _

 

_ The bathroom had a small window up on top of the toilet. I had to stand on the lid of it to get it open, and then walked back towards my disgusting clothes. Oh, well. I was never wearing  _ **_these_ ** _ again. I picked them up as gingerly as I could, before stuffing them through the tiny window and watching as they dropped to the snowy ground outside.  _

 

_ I decided to leave the window open to help air out the room, but closed the door to the bedroom, stripping down and hopping in the shower. The steam from the hot water helped distract me from the acrid smell of bile still lingering in the room, and I ran my hand over my face as it flowed down me, warming up my core. I leant against the wall of the shower, groaning. _

 

_ Where was I meant to go from here? I honestly just wanted to stay locked up in my room. Everyone was going crazy.  _ **_I_ ** _ was going crazy. If I could just kick Koichi out and get him to deliver meals up once a day I might be able to survive. There had to be an empty room, right? We  _ **_were_ ** _ down two members. Koichi could just stay in there, and I’d be able to actually calm down for once.  _

 

_ It wasn’t like Koichi was a particularly bad person. He was just annoying. Most people were annoying.  _

 

_ Except for  _ **_him_ ** _. _

 

_ I mean, he should have been. He was nosy, and intrusive, and honestly kind of creepy if I thought about it too hard. But there was something about his bright eyes, his laugh, the way that he thought the world of me… had I just been using him? It was evident that he admired all of us to death. Had I been exploiting that just to have a friend?  _

 

_ I groaned, sinking to my knees and curling over so that the water thrummed against my back. I pressed my forehead to the floor of the shower, face still buried in my hands.  _

 

_ And I began to cry.  _

 

_ … _

 

_ … _

 

_ … _

 

_ … _

 

**KOICHI (Voice):** Hey, Jin? Are you in there? We’re having dinner now, and, uh… I don’t think you should miss it! 

 

**KOICHI (Voice):** We’re having a kind of… meeting, I guess! 

 

_ I lifted my head, shivering in the cold stream of water. How long had I been in here? Too long, definitely. My fingers were all wrinkled, and I could imagine my body wasn’t in much better shape. I wiped my eyes one more time, before standing up and shutting off the water, reaching out for a towel.  _

 

_ It didn’t take long for me to dry off and get dressed again. Evidently long enough for Koichi to have moved from standing beside the door to fidgeting on the end of the bed, though. He looked completely consumed by slipping his ring on different fingers, and then pulling it off again.  _

 

**JIN:** What’s this about a meeting?

 

**KOICHI:** [Panicked; clutching shoulders] Ah-!

 

_ Koichi jumped, and the ring slipped from his hands, bouncing across the carpet and stopping at my feet. I bent down to pick it up, taking a second to inspect it up-close. It was just a simple silver band, with the same quote engraved on it I’d seen before- but now I could read it. “The heart of another is a dark forest”. I quirked an eyebrow, before tossing it back to Koichi, who caught it with a jolt. _

 

_ That kid was just full of mysteries, wasn’t he? _

 

**JIN:** Interesting quote for a promise ring.

 

**KOICHI:** [Awkward; half smiling] Uh. Promise ring  _ of sorts.  _ Probably not what you’re thinking. 

 

**JIN:** You gonna elaborate on that?

 

**KOICHI:** Nope!

 

_ Koichi stood up, grabbing me by the wrist and tugging me out of the room. I sighed, letting him lead me down the stairs and into the dining room. There wasn’t much use fighting against him.  _

 

_ Everyone was already gathered, heartily digging into whatever Hana had cooked up tonight. I practically fell into a seat, wearily looking across the table for something I could palette. I was exhausted, and not too hungry, either. I decided to just take a bread roll for now. Hana shot me a concerned look from the other end of the table.  _

 

_ Ruka nodded at me as I grabbed my food, before standing up. She had a black eye, swollen and steadily darkening. Her knuckles were wrapped in bandages. I noticed that Hiroko was absent from the table. Guess I know who won that fight. _

 

**RUKA:** [Confident; hands on hips] Alright! I know I mentioned yesterday that I wanted to start some activities, but I really haven’t had much time to plan anything until today.

 

**RUKA:** As team captains, me and Isana have been brainstorming new activities- and we decided that tomorrow would be a snow day!

 

**RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] Honestly, we thought that everyone might be getting cabin fever, so-

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** Oh! How perceptive! 

 

_ A thunking noise was heard as Monokuma dropped down from the trap door, bouncing off the top of the piano and waddling up to us. Ruka snarled at him as he hopped up on the table, nearly sending Hana’s carefully-presented dishes scattering.  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] You’re one smart cookie, Miss Tamatsuki! 

 

**RUKA:** What the hell is  _ that  _ meant to mean?

 

**MONOKUMA:** Wellllllllllllll!~

 

_ Monokuma began traversing the table, stopping down in front of Sadamu, who was sitting at the end of the table. For some reason, he was hunched over, and shivering slightly. Weird- I had hardly seen Sadamu all day. Had he come down with something? Or maybe Hiroko had given him a beating of his own. _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Poking Sadamu’s forehead]  _ Some  _ of you may have noticed something a little bit  _ different  _ about your puny little brains today!

 

**SADAMU:** …

 

**MONOKUMA:** Awww… who’s a cute widdle mopey giant? Sucks to be ass-blasted by a new motive, isn’t it? 

 

_ Motive…? _

 

_ Monokuma walked back across the table, stopping to sweep his leg over a dish. It hit Minon directly in the face. She didn’t even flinch, before slowly raising a hand up in front of her face as if to catch it.  _

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; staring down noise] Can you stop dilly-dallying and get to the damn point already? 

 

**MONOKUMA:** Hmph! Fine, if you’re going to be like that…

 

**MONOKUMA:** I’ll just…

 

**MONOKUMA:** Tell…

 

**MONOKUMA:** You…

 

**MONOKUMA:** The…

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Slamming hand on table]  _ Speak!  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** ………………….Motive! 

 

_ Monokuma pulled a remote control out of seemingly nowhere, slamming down on a large red button. The monitor at the end of the room lit up, showing a strange chemical structure. Taichi squinted at it, before taking his glasses off to clean them on the end of his shirt. _

 

_ I did know rudimentary chemistry, but only stuff that would help me in a crime scene. I had no idea what the hell this was.  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Gesturing to monitor] Meet your new best friend! Dioxyhydroblahblahblahwhatever! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** Also known as my best buddy,  _ un-deadly neurotoxin!  _

 

**ISANA:** [Crying; tugging on pigtails]  _ I don’t want to un-dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! _

 

**MINON:** [Raising eyebrow] ...Get used to it, sister.

 

**TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] ...This is a-advanced. 

 

**MONOKUMA:** You’re telling me! The eggheads back in the facility sure do know their way about chemicals! Personally, I prefer deadlier things, but this works in a pinch.

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing] Aw, come on! You could have at least hit us with some tear gas!

 

**KOICHI:** [Panicked; clutching shoulders] No, no,  _ please  _ don’t do that! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] I’ll do whatever I wanna do, you ungrateful shits!

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Wry smile; resting jaw on fist] Is this shit meant to scare me? 

 

**MONOKUMA:** I dunno! But it might make you angry!

 

**TAKAAKI:** Bold to assume I’m not  _ always  _ angry. 

 

**MONOKUMA:** Mmm… touche! 

 

**RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] Why would it make him angry- or, well. More angry, I guess.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] I’m sure  _ one  _ of you must have figured it out! You can’t expect me to answer  _ every  _ question you have!

 

_ A neurotoxin, huh?  _

 

_ Well, that actually explained a lot of things. _

 

**JIN:** ...It messes with our emotions, doesn’t it? Makes them more intense?

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying white side] Ding ding ding! Correctamundo! That’s why you’re my favourite student, Jin!

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Offended; palm pressed to chest]  _ Hey!  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** As Jinny-Jinny-Jin-Jin said, this makes your emotions go  _ kablamo!  _ Mood swings galore!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Displaying black side] Whichhhhhhh is probably familiar to some of us here. Nudge nudge, Ruka.

 

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] Fuck. You. 

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Giggling; paws covering mouth] Let’s hope none of you get the murder bug! You might not be able to restrain yourselves!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Belly laughing] Gwahahahahahaha! Upu, upuhuhu! 

 

**ISANA:** [Terrified; blubbering] But… I just don’t understand… wh-where is the toxin coming from…?

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Tilted head; paw touching mouth] Aww… aren’t you a little scaredy cat. 

 

**MONOKUMA:** Like I’d ever tell you that!

 

**ISANA:** [Put out; wiping away tears] Dang it, my ruse didn’t, like, work! 

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Cheeky; tongue out] You’ll get him next time!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; looking at floor]  _ This  _ is why you’re not my favourite student…

 

**TAICHI:** [Muttering to self] Something like that would have to be gaseous… 

 

**HANA:** [Relieved; wiping forehead] Aw, thank the heavens it ain’t from my cookin’! 

 

**MINON:** [Snickering; hand over mouth] I don’t know… it might have come from  _ Renma’s.  _

 

**RENMA:** [Annoyed; arms crossed] No. I don’t do science. 

 

**MAIKU:** [Determined; palm pressed to chest] As long as we keep our morals steadfast, we’ll be able to overcome any wretched curse Monokuma could place on us!

 

**RENMA:** Now  _ curses…  _ I  _ do  _ know. 

 

**MONOKUMA:** I am as thrilled as ever to see that you all can never stay on track.

 

_ A loud bang disrupted our conversation. I turned to see Hiroko standing in the archway- as the dining room didn’t exactly have a door, she had just slammed a large book into the wall. “The Collected Works of Oscar Wilde”. I could nearly  _ **_feel_ ** _ Maiku flinching behind me.  _

 

**HIROKO:** [Throwing away book] Yo, what the fuck’s goin’ on?

 

_ Hiroko definitely looked worse for wear. She was covered in bruises, and her nose was steadily bleeding. She narrowed her eyes in distaste at the sight of Monokuma.  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Neutral] Well, I guess that sure is a way to make an introduction. 

 

_ Hiroko stalked up to Monokuma, pushing Minon out of her chair and onto the floor, and  _ **_almost_ ** _ jabbing the bear in the stomach with her finger. She stopped just shy of his fur, when the tell-tale “shhnk” of his claws unsheathing cut through the tension. Instead, she just glared at him, and Minon fell asleep on the carpet.  _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Leaning forwards] If you must know, I was explaining the motive. But I’m not going to explain myself twice!

 

**MONOKUMA:** Adios, suckers!

 

_ And with that, Monokuma leapfrogged off the top of Hiroko’s head, before scurrying away into the lobby. She growled, turning around as if the follow him, but then just slumped down into Minon’s seat. From underneath the table, a snoring sound was heard.  _

 

**HIROKO:** Anyone wanna get me up to speed?

 

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] You could have killed yourself, you know. 

 

**HIROKO:** [Bored; resting chin on hand] Yeah, yeah,  _ mom.  _ I could have taken him.

 

**RUKA:** You couldn’t even beat  _ me  _ in a fair fight.

 

**HIROKO:** ...I just wasn’t puttin’ in my 110%. 

 

**HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] Uh… y’all… maybe we should just calm down a lil?

 

**HANA:** I got the heebie jeebies from that little speech of Monokuma’s, but it’s not worth tradin’ blows over. 

 

**RENMA:** [Smirking; arms crossed] What about hexes?

 

**HANA:** No!

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Picking up knife] What about stabs?

 

**HANA:** _ No!  _

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Sighing; dropping knife] Fiiiiiiiiiine. 

 

**HANA:** [Awkward; combing hands through hair] Listen, Hiroko… I’ll give you the play by play if y’want. Ain’t gonna leave you in the dark just ‘cause you were banged up a lil’. It ain’t right t’do. 

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Pulling out cigarettes] You’re all a bunch of gullible bitches. Like hell Monokuma could do something like that.

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Blank stare] He dissolved one of us.

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Lighting cigarette] So? I could do that. Just give me a tub of lime and a couple hours. If anyone wants a demonstration, feel free to shove Jin under my fuckin’ doorcrack.

 

**JIN:** Is there any reason in particular that you despise me?

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Taking drag] …

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Blowing smoke] ...I just do. Do I need a reason?

 

**JIN:** Considering you’ve threatened to kill me a thousand times and actually  _ tried  _ once, yeah.

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Holding cigarette between two fingers] Huh. Figures. Nothing can be simple anymore. 

 

_ Takaaki stubbed out his cigarette on the back of his hand, before sauntering over to my seat. I stood, staring up at him, and in a flash he’d wrapped his hand around my neck and slammed me backwards into the table. _

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Sadistic smile; leaning forwards] Make that  _ two  _ attempts, you pretentious little  _ prick.  _

 

_ I gasped against his hands, kicking out and trying to hit him with my legs. He wasn’t holding back, fingers tight and self-assured in their grip. I was starting to get light-headed.  _

 

**SADAMU:** [Scowling; hair covering eyes] That’s enough. 

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Tightening grip] Oh, yeah? What are you gonna d-

 

_ Before Takaaki could finish his question, he was practically launched away from me, slamming into the wall. Something flashed, and I took in a deep breath of air. _

 

_ Someone was screaming. _

 

**SADAMU:** [Holding knife]  _ That.  _

 

_ Sadamu dropped the knife to the ground, and stepped away to reveal Takaaki. He was clutching his arm, a dark red stain starting to seep in through the sleeve of his shirt. He looked to be biting back tears. The scream came again, and now I knew it  _ **_definitely_ ** _ hadn’t come from Takaaki. I whirled around to see Maiku, who had vaulted the table to run towards Sadamu, and had collapsed at the ground by his feet.  _

 

_ Well, that explained that.  _

 

_ I knew I should feel something about Takaaki getting stabbed- but he’d just tried to kill me. Again. My compassion wasn’t very forthcoming in this particular moment. _

 

_ Sadamu backed away from the scene, picking Maiku off of the floor and leaving the dining room. Ruka made a hesitant movement to follow him, before gritting her teeth and walking over to Takaaki, ripping off his tie and tying it around his arm in a makeshift tourniquet. _

 

**RUKA:** [Tightening tourniquet] Why do you keep fucking  _ doing  _ this? 

 

_ The words were hissed through clenched teeth. Takaaki didn’t respond, simply letting his head loll backwards in complacency. Ruka struggled to pull him up to his feet, propping him against her. Isana moved to help, grabbing his other side. Before long, Koichi had scurried over to him, talking about the first aid kit back in our room. I hardly noticed the rest of the class, save for Hiroko sliding up next to me and grabbing Takaaki’s discarded box of cigarettes. _

 

**HIROKO:** [Counting cigarettes] ...Damn it, only five. I wonder if that bastard has more in his room.

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Cheeky; tongue out] I can break into his room and steal some!

 

**TAICHI:** [Accusing; shakily pointing] D-Don’t even try! I equipped it w-with high-tech security mechanisms! Y-You’d probably  _ die! _

 

**HITOMIKO:** Well, that’s not  _ that  _ bad. 

 

**HANA:** [Biting lip; sweating profusely] Ah… I think I’m gonna faint…

 

**RENMA:** [Holding out arms] Yes, my Dark Mistress. Fall into my arms. 

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Picking up wine glass] He should have gone for the throat, in my opinion. Get rid of that brat once and for all.

 

**HANA:** [Holding hand to head; fainting] …

 

**RENMA:** [Catching Hana] Huzzah! Success! This ‘flirting’ is really going well!

 

_ I sighed, pushing myself away from the table and heading out of the dining room. My appetite had been completely ruined, and I wasn’t in any shape to stay around large groups of people for long. _

 

_ I stalled at the bottom of the stairs, hearing voices from up above. Shit. Everyone was probably in my room, letting Koichi patch Takaaki up. I definitely didn’t want to run into them… maybe I  _ **_should_ ** _ check out the other rooms. One of them had to be empty, right? Or maybe two? My math wasn’t the sharpest. You know, especially after I’d just nearly been murdered in front of all my classmates… _

 

_ Let’s see. I’m rooming with Koichi, which is one dorm. Isana is with Ruka, presumably. They seemed to close for anything else to be the case. That’s two. I’m guessing Hiroko is rooming with Hitomiko now, and Renma and Hana are sharing, since Taichi switched roommates and Renma’s been sticking to Hana like glue. That would be four rooms taken. Shizuya and Minon might be sharing, but both seemed to like their own personal space. And then, of course, Takaaki and Taichi were rooming, and so were Maiku and Sadamu. So that’s six rooms, maybe seven.  _

 

_ Hopefully more of them hadn’t decided to live a solo life, or I was screwed. I only had one or two options for privacy here.  _

 

_ I ascended the stairs, and began my (not-so) arduous process looking for a room. It turned out the one third from the right was empty, directly opposite to the ballroom. I headed in, sighing with exhaustion, and kicked off my shoes. All I wanted to do right now was sleep. _

 

_ I collapsed into the bed, still in my clothes. I didn’t want a repeat of this morning, after all. _

 

_ And then, I tried to sleep. _

 

_ … _

  
  


_ … _

  
  


_ … _

  
  


_ Key word being “tried”.  _

 

_ It had to have been at least a few hours before I gave up, sitting up in the bed and stretching out my limbs. I was still physically exhausted, but every time I started to drift off into sleep, I could only imagine the bright flash of blood smeared across Takaaki’s arm, and the feeling of his hand around my neck. It was too close for comfort. _

 

_ I was also fucking starving. I may not have felt able to eat back then, but now I was praying the price. I could hardly shuffle over in the massive bed without hunger cramps overtaking me. I yawned, stepping out of bed and shuffling over to the door. Maybe I should just go and get a midnight snack, or a whatever-the-time-was snack. _

 

[ **♪♫♬♫♪** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olWBlstgv6U)

 

_ The first thing I noticed when I stepped out of the room was the faint sound of piano music. Huh. Looks like I wasn’t the only person awake this late. Maiku must be downstairs. _

 

_ I rubbed at my eyes, stumbling over to the stairs and taking them slowly. The melody that filled the lobby was simple but haunting, carrying an undertone of deep sadness. I guess that suited Maiku’s melodramatic nature.  _

 

_ I hesitated at the archway to the dining room. The room was pitch black. Again, pretty fitting. The music was really beautiful, though, and I let myself lean against the arch and close my eyes, just absorbing every note. I felt a vague urge to go in and grab my violin to add an accompaniment- but then again, I didn’t want to risk messing this up.  _

 

_ After the tune looped back around again, I stepped in, clearing my throat to let Maiku know I was there. A quick gasp and the sudden jolt of mismatched keys filled the air, and I winced. Shit, I must have startled him. Maybe he thought I was Takaaki, hellbent on getting revenge. He’d seemed kind of terrified back when Sadamu stabbed him.  _

 

**JIN:** It’s just me. I’m going to get some food, alright? 

 

_ Silence. And then, a small sob. Maiku sounded terrified. I hesitated, halfway to the kitchen by now. Deciding that my hunger could wait in the event of a hurricane of Maiku’s systronics, I backed up, heading back into the lobby as quickly as I could. _

 

**JIN:** Uh… have fun with your piano. It’s nice.

 

_ No response. Jesus, this was awkward. I turned back to climb the stairs- and then I heard it. The first few notes to the tune he was playing. I smiled to myself, heading back up the stairs and back into my room, strangely calm.  _

 

_ Maybe I should choose to pursue a career of music if I got out of here, instead of my crackpot idea of becoming Hope’s Peak’s headmaster. I’d probably get more out of it. Music was just… really soothing to me.  _

 

_ I locked the door behind me, curling up into my bed. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.  _

 

**MONOKUMA THEATRE**

 

**MONOKUMA:** Gather round, children! 

 

**MONOKUMA:** Today, Mr. Monokuma is going to teach you a lesson about morals. Specifically, about sharing!

 

**MONOKUMA:** Now, people always say that sharing is caring. But that’s not always true! What if you shared a deadly disease with a friend?

 

**MONOKUMA:** Or gave up all your life savings, just for a scam?

 

**MONOKUMA:** Or lost the love of your life to your (more attractive) twin brother?

 

**MONOKUMA:** The point is, it’s nearly always better to live selfishly. Sharing is  _ boring,  _ but taking is fun!

 

**MONOKUMA:** Why do you think people rob banks? It’s not all just for the money- it’s for the thrill of the crime!

 

**MONOKUMA:** And you know what’s the best form of taking…?

 

**MONOKUMA:** Taking someone’s life! Gwahahahaha! 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder, you can vote on who you think the victim is going to be here: https://www.strawpoll.me/15541663


	11. CHAPTER TWO: "Frozen Teardrops Scattered on an Angel's Wasteland" [PART THREE]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's a bit of a doozy. it's late, so i can't update the spoiler trigger thing, so this is a temporary thing: this contains attempted drugging. it's not fun but nothing happens from it. i know that can be a big trigger so i found it only wise to put it in the notes if i can't update the trigger website right now. otherwise... enjoy!

_Waking up the next morning was an ordeal and a half. As the sun filtered in through the curtains of the room and splayed across my face, I began to blink awake, but slowly let myself fall back into the sticky molasses of sleep. That was a state I stayed in for quite a while, being tugged back and forth from the waking world to the sweet comfort of the subconscious._

 

_The thing that finally pulled me out was a simple miscalculation of the muscles- rolling an inch too far off the edge of the bed and ending up with my legs stuck up akimbo and my a sharp pain rolling through the top of my skull. I groaned, sliding my legs down to join me on the floor, and pressing the palms of my hands against my eyes. I really didn’t want to wake up that day._

 

_What was the point of it all? Day after day, fearing that one might be my last? It was bullshit. Just bullshit. Unfortunately, it was also bullshit that I was going to have to get through if I wanted to be able to sneak off into the kitchen and grab some food. As soon as the final thread of sleep had snapped, a vicious hunger began clawing at my insides, and I knew I couldn’t keep it waiting for long. I should have just said to hell with Maiku’s overdramatic wiles and gone to make myself a fucking sandwich last night._

 

_I rolled over onto my back, staring up at the ceiling with furrowed brows. I exhaled a deep breath as I sat up, grabbing the side of the mattress and pulling myself up off the floor. I slapped my cheek a couple times to get the last of my weariness out, before stretching my arms above my head. I winced as I heard them crack. I should really start exercising more._

 

_From there it was pretty simple to get ready- splash some water on my face, brush my teeth with the crappy little toothbrush I’d found in one of the drawers, and run wet hands through my hair until it looked somewhat reasonable. I was lucky that I didn’t have to make another makeshift clothes run, even if all my outfits were in Koichi’s room._

 

_I eased my way out of the room, feeling good about the day for once. Things still weren’t ideal, but this was the first time I really got some time to get ready on my own terms. It felt good to have that privacy again- that sense of independence. That was something you can’t really get with a roommate, never mind one as pushy as Koichi. Not that he was a bad person, but… I guess we just didn’t… mesh well together? He was too nosey. But then again, so was Kotohiko… ugh. Maybe I was just too picky. Or maybe I was the reasonable one for not wanting to get into a relationship with a guy that I had known for maybe a week._

 

_Never mind the fact I almost kissed one I’d only known for a day._

 

_But that was just the bullshit of the human mind, huh? I’d studied enough people in my line of work to know that there’s rarely any logic to romance. Which means it’s definitely something I should stay away from. Spontaneity has never really been… my thing, by any sense, and I didn’t want to start now. Especially not when I could end up with a knife in my back for the effort._

 

_I shook my head to clear it of these thoughts, heading down to the kitchen and grabbing a slice of toast that’d been set out in a large platter, next to a couple of dishes filled with what seemed to be different types of jam. I didn’t really care what I was having, so I just picked a red one and hoped for the best, before practically inhaling the entire slice. Toast was a good choice. Wasn’t there that thing for people with sensitive stomachs? Like, you could only eat certain foods… rice, toast, bananas… and something else. Not exactly applicable to me, but I didn’t exactly want to test out the capabilities of my stomach when I knew what would happen if I went too far._

 

 **HANA:** [Happy; curtseying] Oh, howdy, Jin!

 

_Hana had come in from the kitchen, carrying what looked to be a fresh platter of toast. Damn, if I had waited just a few minutes I would have been able to snag something a bit warmer. I raised my hand up in greeting, and Hana beamed at me._

 

 **HANA:** [Setting platter down] A late riser, huh? Can’t really relate ta that, but different strokes for different folks, y’know!

 

 **JIN:** Not usually. I mean, I’m usually up pretty early. I’ve just been… tired. I don’t know. The lack of morning announcements is really screwing with me.

 

 **HANA:** [Thinking; resting chin on fingers] I suppose that do make sense… to be honest, this whole place has been givin’ me the heebie jeebies. We still ain’t figured out how the motive’s bein’ given to us, and even though Taichi was sayin’ it ain’t the food, I still can’t help but wonder...

 

 **HANA:** [Staring glumly down at toast] I really hope it ain’t. I don’t wanna be findin’ out that my cookin’ is what’s makin’ everyone go cuckoo-crazy.  

 

 **JIN:** I don’t think that’s it. Monokuma could risk us overdosing or underdosing if that was the case. And Taichi seems to be a bit more… well-versed in shady stuff like this. If he says it wasn’t the food, it isn’t. Don’t beat yourself up about it.

 

 **HANA:** I’ll try not to… no matter how hard I try to distract myself, I keep feelin’ guilty. I guess that’s the point of the whole thingaling, ain’t it?

 

 **JIN:** Mmm.

 

_I went back to reach for the toast, but at Hana’s mention of ‘guilt’, a memory flashed through my mind and I tugged my hand away._

 

 **JIN:** Uh… Hana. You, uh… well, I need. You’re close with Renma, right?

 

 **HANA:** [Proud; two fingers held up] Sure as a pig takin’ a dip in a pie-hole.

 

 **JIN:**...I’m pretty sure that’s not a saying.

 

 **HANA:** And I’m pretty sure I ain’t actually from the country. But go on.

 

 **JIN:** Uh, right. Okay, so… have you noticed that… Renma is, like… well it’s just- I need to apologise to her for saying some stuff that, in retrospect, may have come off as really rude. And kind of ignorant.

 

 **HANA:** [Curious; nodding head] Mm-hm? And that would be…?

 

 **JIN:** Well, I mean. We were in the baths, together, I guess is what I’m saying- and I noticed her flat chest, and… I guess I was just… shit, I don’t know how to phrase this.

 

 **JIN:** What I’m saying is I just made a fucking mess of myself and I may have made Renma feel self-conscious over something I’m not sure she was even _aware_ of in the first place. So like. Can you tell her I’m sorry for that?

 

 **HANA:** [Realisation; pointing up in air] Oh! Oh… I think I get what you’re gettin’ at…

 

 **HANA:** [Awkward; running hands through hair] To tell you th’ truth, it was a shock to me as well, but y’know… she explained it in that weird lil’ way of her’s and I got it, and I don’t think she would really mind people… not gettin’ it. Renma don’t strike me as the type to care about what other people think a’ her.

 

 **HANA:** [Placing hands over heart] But if you want her to know you’re sorry, I’ll be sure ta pass it along, okay? It’s very nice a’ you to offer your apologies for somethin’ like that. So don’t go beatin’ yourself up about it either, mmkay?

 

 **JIN:** Yeah, I suppose so… thanks.

 

_I reached back to take my slice, dumping another random condiment on it. A quick bite told me it was marmalade, and I made a face. Hana giggled._

 

 **HANA:** Maybe watch what’cher puttin’ on your toast next time, sweetheart.

 

 **JIN:** Duly noted.

 

 _I pushed the toast away, deciding I really didn’t need to eat more food right now. One slice had sated me enough… and despite my own reassurances towards Hana, a niggling thought at the back of my mind told me that there was always a chance the food_ **_was_ ** _the issue._

 

_As Hana bustled back into the kitchen, I stood, leaving the dining room to head into the library. Or, well, that was the initial plan. Instead, when I stepped out of the dining room, I was met with a… very odd scene, to say the least._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Cheery; saluting] Alright, civilians! Let’s all band together and try to gather materials to cease the administration of Monokuma’s neurotoxin! We have no way of knowing if overdose is possible, so this is top priority!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Wide eyed; jaw hanging] What the fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

 

_Takaaki was standing on top of the receptionist counter, a huge smile on his face. But that was pretty much the only part of him that looked well-put-together. He was still wearing the same clothes from last night, his entire left sleeve soaked with deep red blood. His tie was still wrapped around it, but it looked significantly looser, and had taken on some of the stains as well._

 

_But the most jarring thing was his skin. It was like he’d suddenly become riddled with scars overnight- small pockmarks littered his face, going down to his neck. My brain helpfully supplied me the cause: cigarette scars. I’d seen them on abused spouses before, as well as animals. But these didn’t look recent- in fact, some appeared to have almost entirely healed over. These had to be months old, at least. Maybe even years._

 

_All in all, a pretty disconcerting image. I started to back away into the dining room, but Takaaki’s gaze flickered towards me, and I could see the side of his face twitch. I gulped._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Struggling to smile] Well, isn’t it so… _nice_ to see you, Jin!

 

 **HITOMIKO:** [Mouthing words] HELP US.

 

 **JIN:** I’m just gonna-

 

_In a fluid motion, Takaaki hopped off the counter and nearly sprinted over to grab me by the shoulder. His nails dug into my skin, even through the layers of fabric. I winced._

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Jin, you’re such a… _fantastic_ investigator. Why don’t you… mmnn… help us?

 

 **JIN:** Are you… okay?

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Never. Felt better. Ha. Ha.

 

 **RUKA:** [Placing hand on Takaaki’s shoulder] Ah, Takaaki… can we have a chat?

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Still smiling; hissing through teeth] No, Ruka. Can’t you see I’m trying to… talk to Jin? Hah.

 

 **RUKA:** [Tugging] I don’t think that’s a very good idea, Takaaki.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** Nnmm. Whatever you say.

 

_Takaaki backed away, and I could see he was trembling. Was this how he dealt with his emotions? I really didn’t want to hang around and find out. I felt someone come up next to me and grab my arm, and without really thinking, I let them tug me into the library._

 

 **ISANA:** [Whispering] Are you trying to get yourself killed, Jin?!

 

_I turned to face Isana, who looked like she was trembling in a mixture of fear and anger._

 

 **JIN:** Only partially. What the hell is wrong with him?

 

 **ISANA:** [Concerned; worrying lip] I don’t know… Ruka said something about him reacting weirdly when he gets too stressed. I didn’t think it would end up like _this,_ though.

 

 **ISANA:** Regardless, I don’t really trust him not to hurt you right now. So just keep out of his way, got it?

 

_It seemed like Isana had suddenly been struck with uncharacteristic seriousness- any trace of her peppy, happy-go-lucky act had vanished into thin air. All I could do but nod in the face of it, and she shot me a weary grin, adjusting the hem of her shirt._

 

 **ISANA:** So, uhm… In order news…

 

 **ISANA:** [Curious; cocked head] I was talking to Koichi at breakfast. Apparently you ditched his room last night. What’s up with that?

 

_Oh, jeez._

 

 **JIN:** God, what a conversation to have first thing in the morning- shit, Isana. I don’t know what you want me to tell you.

 

_I don’t know how to say it without sounding like an asshole either._

 

 **ISANA:** What? I’m not going to judge you if you don’t like the guy. Just say the truth, Jin.

 

 **JIN:** I just like my space. Koichi likes companionship. It’s not very… congruent, you know? Especially not with this… _bullshit_ motive.

 

_I dug the heels of my palm into my eyes, groaning as I felt tendrils of anger start to tug at the side of my mind. I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, but that only seemed to aggravate them. Thanks, Monokuma, for picking the one fucking motive I’d have trouble dealing with. At least I’d be more likely to target myself than anyone else in this state, but still…_

 

 **ISANA:** [Nodding understandingly] Oh, yeah. Okay. Got that. If you want me to leave you alone I can just-

 

 **JIN:** I’m fine. Just. Urgh. Fuck.

 

 **ISANA:** [Giggles] “Urgh, fuck” is right.

 

 **ISANA:** [Turning around] I’m going to go grab something to dig into- uh, books, not food! Join me if you want to- _AAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!_

 

_The sound of clattering furniture echoed around the library as Isana whirled around to find Taichi standing directly behind her, and then promptly threw him into the nearest bookcase. I yelped, jumping backwards and protectively covering my face as my heart started to race at a thousand miles per hour. It took me a good two minutes to regain my composure and let my adrenaline levels slowly come back down to normal._

 

 **ISANA:** [Guilty; covering mouth] Omigosh! I totes didn’t mean to do that, Chichi! Are you okay?!

 

 **TAICHI:** [Woozy; pressing head to hand] Urghhhh…

 

_Isana scurried over to Taichi, fussing over his head wound. A small trickle of blood had started to run down his face, but he didn’t really look in critical condition. Still, I joined her on the floor, tentatively reaching out to place a hand on Taichi’s shoulder. That was comforting, right? Was there a guide for social interaction somewhere in this library?_

 

 **JIN:**...What were you even doing there, Taichi?

 

_Interrogating a concussed person probably wasn’t the best course of action, but I was an idiot._

 

 **TAICHI:** Nghnn… t-trying to… t-tell you… I figured it out.

 

 **JIN:** What?

 

_Well, at least I got something interesting out of it. Even Isana stopped dabbing at Taichi’s forehead with the end of her shirt to give him a confused look._

 

 **TAICHI:** [Pointing to ceiling] ...The v-vents.

 

_I followed where Taichi’s finger was leading, spotting a vent near the top of the ceiling. Well, that didn’t tell me much of anything._

 

 **JIN:** What about them?

 

 **ISANA:** [Vaguely queasy] Oh god, don’t tell me the fans are blocked again…

 

 **TAICHI:** Wh-what? No.

 

_Taichi stood up, batting Isana’s hand away and straightening his glasses. He still stumbled slightly, and I had to reach out to help support him, which was trickier than it sounds._

 

 **TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] Th-the motive. The gas. It’s coming f-from the vents… I th-think.

 

 **JIN:** Oh, _shit._

 

_Well, at least that was one mystery down. I tugged up my cape to cover my lower face, gaze flickering to the vent. Of course Monokuma would use something like this- they were hard to spot at first, and ever since… last time… none of us would think to go investigating near there. Well, nobody but Taichi at least._

 

 **ISANA:** [Thinking; finger pressed to temple] Uh, how’d you thunk that out, Taichi?

 

 **TAICHI:** I d-don’t even want t-to get into how much of a grammatical t-trainwreck that question is, but… it’s s-simple. I just figured out h-how a gaseous chemical could be d-distributed throughout the entire cabin w-without raising alarm.

 

 **TAICHI:** [Looking away; vaguely guilty] Th-that and I used s-some of Jin’s f-forensic equipment from the T-Talent Room.

 

 **JIN:** Maybe ask next time you touch my stuff.

 

 **TAICHI:** It’s t-technically not _your_ s-stuff. It’s for everyone. B-Besides, would you rather I _didn’t_ f-figure it out?!

 

 **JIN:** …

 

 **JIN:** Point taken.

 

 **ISANA:** So what, the gas can’t get us if we’re outside, then?

 

 **TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] I’m p-pretty sure Monokuma was banking on us n-not going outside because it’s too cold. So w-we’d stay in here and breathe in all his st-stupid neurotoxin.

 

 **ISANA:** [Clapping hands together] Well then the solution is hella easy! Get everyone coats, and then, like, head outside! Maimai was working on making some yesterday, and we already have a bunch left here for us.

 

 **TAICHI:** Only e-eight.

 

 **ISANA:** Well, yeah, but some of us already dress warm… Like Jinny and Mumu! And I thiiiiiink Maimai should have enough for the rest.

 

 **JIN:**...Moo-moo?

 

 **ISANA:** [Stifling giggles] Heheh! Sadamu, silly! If I wanted to call someone Moo-moo, I’d call Hanhan it!

 

 **TAICHI:** [Deadpan] W-well that’s rude.

 

 **ISANA:** [Backtracking] Not, like, because she looks like a cow or anything! More like a cute piggy, actually… but I mean! She just has those cute little spots on her dress! And that beef curry she cooked last night was sooooooo goooooooooood…

 

 **JIN:** Watch the salivation, Isana.

 

 **ISANA:** [Wiping spit away from mouth] Heheh, yeah, I don’t wanna turn into Koko!

 

 **JIN:** …

 

 **TAICHI:** …

 

 **ISANA:** [Pupils shrinking in horror] Ohmigosh, right, he’s not-

 

_Without warning, Isana suddenly reached out to slam her fist into a bookcase. It rattled, and threatened to fall over. I grabbed Taichi and backed away._

 

 **ISANA:** [Furious; hands clenched into fists] _URGH!_ I _hate_ this stupid game! I just wanna have all my friends back! _What the fuck is the point of all this?!_

 

 **JIN:** I- I get it, I…

 

_She was right. This killing game really was bullshit. What was the point of even staying here anymore? Anyone could die at any second. We’d all get killed, and we were never leaving here. What’s the point. What’s the fucking point!_

 

_Before I even realised it, I’d burst into tears, and I found myself wailing at the top of my lungs. I’d never cried like this before, but it felt like my mind was being flooded with waves and waves of emotions. I hardly noticed someone pulling me away from the library and out the front door, only ceasing my (very embarrassing) sobbing when I felt the bite of snowflakes falling on my heated face._

 

 **TAICHI:** [Covering mouth and nose] J-Jin? Breathe. I-Inhale, exhale.

 

_Hiccuping slightly, I followed Taichi’s instructions, and soon the clouding wave of sadness started to dissipate and my thoughts came back into sharp focus. I blinked rapidly, my breath forming a cloud in front of my face on my shaky exhale._

 

 **JIN:** Wh-

 

 **TAICHI:** W-We really needed t-to get out of there. I th-think Monokuma overheard m-me talking about th-the vents- I c-could _smell_ the ch-change in the air. H-He upped the dosage.

 

 _I sucked in a sharp breath through my teeth, and furiously began to rub at my eyes. Talk about some nasty side effects. I wasn’t even sure my body_ **_knew_ ** _how to cry like that._

 

 **JIN:**...The air’s clean out here, though?

 

 **TAICHI:** Sh-should be. I know th-that there are biodome-wide v-ventilation systems, but from the looks of things the dose w-would be ridiculously diluted no m-matter how much of the stuff M-Monokuma threw in there.

 

 **TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] I-I’ll go tell everyone th-they need to leave. H-Hope someone will listen t-to a crackpot conspiracist.

 

 **JIN:** If you need to, I can just-

 

 **TAICHI:** [Unimpressed; raising eyebrow] Jin, you look l-like shit, and you only c-cried for a minute. I’ll h-handle this.

 

 **TAICHI:** [Proud; pushing glasses up] S-Supreme agents l-like myself know how to d-deal with a little b-bit of chemical warfare.

 

_Without saying anything else, I watched as Taichi trudged back through the snow and into the cabin again, all the while keeping his hand clamped firmly over his mouth and nose. I shivered in the cold air, tugging on the ends of my cape and looking back towards the shed. Maybe I could hide in there until everyone else came out. It seemed a little bit weird to just be standing out here all alone…_

 

_...Except that it would be locked. Damn it. Taichi really was the source of all my problems in this scenario- but he was also the reason I wasn’t currently breaking down in the middle of the library. I hoped he managed to make it through there without suffering a similar fate. At least I had the sharp air to clear my senses- all he had was a hand over his mouth._

 

_I amused myself by drawing symbols in the snow with the toe of my boot, waiting until the rest of my classmates slowly filtered out, Taichi taking deep gulps of breath between each journey. They mostly looked bewildered- like Taichi had just dragged them out without explaining anything. After a good fifteen minutes or so, where they’d broken off to talk amongst each other, everyone was here._

 

_Well, everyone but one._

 

 **JIN:**...Where’s Sadamu?

 

 **TAICHI:** [Exhausted; panting] Couldn’t… get him… out of his room.

 

 **MAIKU:** [Awkward; scratching back of neck] Uh… yeah. He’s not really… he’s kind of upset right now!

 

_Oh, Maiku. Was that the reason why he’d been so upset yesterday? He did share a room with Sadamu, after all… I wonder what was going on._

 

 **JIN:** Did he hurt you?

 

 **MAIKU:** What?! No! I mean… he was just kind of angry. Locked himself in the bathroom. I don’t think he’s going to be able to attend this “outdoor activity day”.

 

 **JIN:**...Outdoor activities.

 

 **TAICHI:** [Whispering] I-It seemed l-like a good way t-to get him out of th-the room. He w-was crying about h-his girlfriend.

 

_I held up my hand in an “OK” sign._

 

 **JIN:** This is kind of important, maybe you should-

 

 **RUKA (Voice):** Attention, everyone!

 

_Before I could finish my sentence, Ruka spoke up, and I whirled around to see that she was balanced on top of Isana’s shoulders, pointing at the rest of us. I hadn’t noticed it before, but she seemed to be dressed in Takaaki’s clothes today, with a heavy winter coat over her shoulders. It seemed like the last few days she’d just been stealing other people’s clothes- had something happened to her dress?_

 

 **RUKA:** [Pointing into the crowd] I know that I have been rather “lackluster” in my role as the group’s leader! However, I thought that now was good enough as any to display my leadership skills after Taichi suggested an “outdoor activities” day!

 

 **ISANA:** [Struggling slightly] Also because the neurotoxin has reached really dangerous levels, yo!

 

 **RUKA:**...Yes, and that!

 

_Shocked gasps rippled across the group, and Ruka’s smile turned strained. Isana stamped her foot on the ground in order to get everyone’s attention, but slipped on the snow and the two of them went tumbling. I hurried over and leant Isana my hand, not really knowing why, and pulled her up to her feet. Ruka had to pull herself up, and shook snow out of her hair, glaring at a cackling Shizuya and Minon._

 

 **RUKA:** [Deadpan] I’m sure this is _very_ funny for you two braindead fuckin’ assholes, but some of us actually give a shit about the rest of our classmates.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Beaming; hands on hips] Indeed!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Dry; pointing at Takaaki] I’d rather _not_ end up like him, thanks.

 

 **TAKAAKI:** [Still smiling] And I’m sure you’d hate to end up dead, but you’ll be heading there soon if you talk to me again! Haha!

 

_Shizuya looked vaguely disturbed, and backed off. Ruka huffed, walking over to link arms with Isana, who beamed at her._

 

 **ISANA:** [Chipper; hugging Ruka close] Alrighty! If everyone’s still listening, let’s lay out the day plan! There’s lotsa stuff we can, like, do today! Ice skating on the lake- it’s safe, don’t worry- snowball fights, sled races- you name it! Just go ham wild, y’all!

 

 **HANA:** [Raising hand] I left some croissants in th’ oven, can I go check on ‘em?

 

 **ISANA:** Nope!

 

 **HANA:** [Nervous; sweating] But it’ll burn down the cabin!

 

 **ISANA:** We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it!

 

 **HANA:** Oh dear…

 

 **RENMA:** [Smirking; arms crossed] Perfect. The ideal environment from a hellsent twisted one such as I.

 

 **HANA:** [Tugging on Renma’s cloak] Fire can kill ya, dearie.

 

 **RENMA:** Heh! Maybe if I was a _level five_ demon, but I’ve far surpassed that!

 

_Hana tugged Renma away as she started rambling about her position in Hell, leaving the rest of us alone. After a few confused moments, everyone else started to filter out, taking Isana’s suggestion of “go ham wild” to heart. I guess this meant that I had some free time…_

 

**FREE TIME - START!**

 

_Most of the usual groups I hung out with had all sprinted off to go on and try out all the winter activities we hadn’t touched before, but I honestly wasn’t planning on falling on my ass or getting soaked with snow. I slinked towards the shed, double-checking that it was locked, and cursed under my breath when I confirmed it. There really was no way I was getting out of the snow today, was there? Monokuma had smoked us out like rats. Taichi had scurred off with Takaaki with the key, and there was no way I was dealing with the latter part of that pair. I rubbed my neck, cringing slightly at the memory of his hands around my neck._

 

 **SHIZUYA (Voice):** Are you just going to stand there looking like an idiot, or are you going to do something?

 

_I scowled, flicking my gaze over to Shizuya in my peripherals. She was checking out her nails, barely even paying any attention to me._

 

 **JIN:** Well, what are you doing?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Bored; appraising nails] Standing here looking a goddess.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Scowling; eyebrows furrowed] Fuck, chipped nail.

 

**_Spend time with Shizuya?_ **

 

**_> > Do I Have To…?_ **

_ >> No Way In Hell _

 

_Well, time to make what might possibly be the worst decision in my life so far, besides being born._

 

 **JIN:**...Mind if I join you?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Immensely.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Sighing; rolling shoulders back] But if you _insist,_ I suppose I can lend you an hour or so. As long as I’m properly reimbursed afterwards.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** You’re not nearly as insufferable as some of the other flecks of scum crowded around this miserable killing game.

 

 **JIN:** I’m going to pretend that was a compliment.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** It was.

 

_I sighed, moving away from the door to face Shizuya head-on. She’d neglected to grab a jacket, instead keeping on her usual one, shoulder-pads and all. Maybe that was because it made her look more intimidating- really squared out her entire frame. As if her general attitude wasn’t intimidating enough._

 

 **JIN:** So, do you have any bright plans for how exactly we’re going to spend said hour?   


**SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; noise raised] What, you can’t think of anything yourself? I’m the one giving you a favour here. I don’t _have_ to spend time with you.

 

 **JIN:** It’s not really a “favour” if I don’t _want_ to spend time with you, Shizuya. You know, for all your talk of “perfection”, you have a _really_ unpleasant personality.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Scoffing; throwing head back] Ha! Rich that you think _you_ can insult me. Where’d you grow those balls, Kirigiri?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** My personality has been finely tailored to maximise my intimidation factor and the weight of my words. No critic makes it in this world by being _nice._

 

 **JIN:** But you’re not going to be a critic forever. What are you going to do once people start getting bored of your work? Once that edge starts to wear off and people start looking for new opinions.

 

 **JIN:** Negativity gets old after a while.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] Says the depressive.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** I’ll simply start _creating_ things that nobody else can, you dithering dolt. Once I’ve built up a reputation for my keen eye, I can finally start releasing what the world _truly_ needs- finely crafted amenities, not the same bullshit they slap different labels on and feed to the mindless masses.

 

_Hm. Surprisingly noble. I didn’t think she had it in her. Maybe the last traces of the neurotoxin in my system were what was causing this sudden bout of bravery, but I wasn’t about to back down now that I finally had Shizuya opening up to me._

 

 **JIN:**...Well that’s fucking vague. What, are you going to create like, wine? Food? Movies? Books?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] As much as I can manage. People have done more in their life.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Waving hand dismissively] Of course, I’m not exactly going to become a chef, or work on a winery. I’ll just oversee them- make sure everything is up to my standards.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** A monopoly on all entertainment and culture is my ultimate end goal, but even I can be a critic of my own dreams. I know it’s not exactly realistic, but somewhat obtainable if I put in a good amount of effort, which I am _definitely_ planning on.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Looking to the side; mumbling] I already have a publishing company under my thumb, after all…

 

 **JIN:** What was that?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Scowling; looking down nose] Absolutely none of your business.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Advancing; prodding me in the chest] What’s _your_ end goal, Kirigiri? I imagine you’ll be quite sick of murders after this dreary calamity is over and done with.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** That is, if you don’t end up six feet under with the rest of your company.

 

_I prickled at that comment, averting eye contact._

 

 **JIN:** Music. Or… or an administrative position at Hope’s Peak.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Amused; smirking] What? The same establishment that landed us in this mess? By the time I’m done with them, there’ll _be_ no Hope’s Peak.

 

 **JIN:** You really think your word can go against the government like that? This school seems pretty entwined with the higher ups.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** “All I need is a sheet of paper and something to write with, and then I can turn the world upside down.” Friedrich Nietzsche.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] Words have far more power than one might think, Kirigiri. I thought that you would have realised that by now.

 

 **JIN:** Yeah, well, so does power. You can’t change the world if you can’t get anyone to listen to you.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Prodding chest; determined] Which is why I’ve built myself a reputation! Sure, nobody might give a damn about some normal child spewing drivel about this school, but someone with a cultivated following has far too many pliant minds to work with.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** People fear me and respect me in equal measure, Kirigiri. Reputation is the most important force on this entire world. Your family has a reputation. That’s how you were able to get your little “Kirigiri and Company” business off the ground.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** People don’t normally entrust their marital affairs, or their property, or their life to just any regular teenager. It doesn’t matter how _good_ you are- just that your name held power, and that power repaid you in recognition.

 

_I shivered. That really just wracked me to the bone, didn’t it? All of my success had come just from my family._

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Waving hand dismissively] Of course, if you want to throw your detective business down the trash, which I wouldn’t blame you for at this point- you need to stop using your family as a crutch.

 

 **JIN:** I’ve never used them as a crutch. I want to get as far away from them as possible.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Hm. Impressive that you’d want to fuck yourself over that badly, and still failed at it by branding your entire fucking business with your surname. Good for you.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** But as I was saying, you’d need to-

 

 **JIN:** What are you, my life coach?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] No. I just hate to see people flounder away the talent that I know they can foster if they just made smart decisions and put in some fucking effort.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Ninety percent of the world’s mistakes have come from just writing off the bare minimum as the best you can do. You _do_ have talent, Kirigiri. Your musical skill could rival concert-level violinists, but you need to _focus_ on it.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Counting on fingers] You get distracted often. Your vibrato is rusty. You focus too much on mechanical perfectionism- and whilst your pitch _is_ perfect, it lacks a lot of the raw _feeling_ that one looks for in a piece.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** You cannot just emulate something. You need to _create._ You need to offer up your soul to your craft, no matter the payoff. If you’re truly talented, this will not exhaust you. If you’re not, you need to get better or _get the fuck out._

 

 _I nodded, somewhat surprised that- well, what Shizuya was saying meant_ **_sense._ ** _It was still harsh, but it wasn’t just… the baseless insults that I’d expected. It seemed like she genuinely wanted to help me, not just pull me down._

 

 **JIN:** I guess there really is a reason you’re the Super High School Level Critic after all.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Raising eyebrow] You doubted me?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] I’ve been doing this since I was seven. Practise makes perfection, and I have never aimed for anything less.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Of course, it was just book reports back then, but I had a head start. I was an early reader.

 

 **JIN:** So what, were your parents like- those type that spends a lot of money to get you into private school when you’re still in diapers?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Looking to the side] ...No. They were quite poor, actually.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** I’m proud to say that I absolutely did _not_ take after them.

 

 **JIN:** Well, I’m sorry to hear that.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Raising eyebrow] No, you’re not. I don’t need your hollow sympathy, Kirigiri. I’m not someone to be pitied, only admired. I had the guts to crawl my way out of that hellhole and I am _never_ looking back.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] My parents were fools. They wasted all their money on _medical fees_ when they should have just accepted that the prognosis was terminal, and that little leech was going to die no matter what they did.

 

 **JIN:**...What?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Lost in her own world] Why, at least Minon has the decency to die in _peace_ without burdening everyone with her own… necrosis, and whatever else she’s got rotting away inside of her.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Even though she’s become deluded enough to seriously believe that she’s going to survive it, you don’t see her begging Monokuma for medical attention. It’s commendable.

 

 **JIN:** Wait, what’s wrong with Minon? Who was the leech?

 

 _I mean, I knew Minon wasn’t exactly healthy, but_ **_necrosis?!_ **

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Snapping out of it] Hm?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Waving hand dismissively] Like I said. None of your business, Kirigiri. You’re not entitled to my entire fucking backstory.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Prodding chest] Although yours is quite easy to guess. Daddy issues, am I correct? Neglectful mother to boot. Had to raise yourself, never had any friends as a child because your IQ would have tripled theirs and they felt intimidated. Or perhaps you were homeschooled?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** A morbid fascination with death because you spent all your childhood learning how to dissect dead bodies and detect poison in drinks. Think you won’t make it past twenty because you’ve never seen someone die of natural causes. A self-destructive issue where you hold yourself up to what seem like impossible standards but are just self-inflated by your own mind, and when you find you can’t reach them, you internalise your self-hatred.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** You want to open up to people, but you repress that desire because you don’t want to put in the emotional effort of having to explain everything you perceive to be wrong with you. You’re drawn to people who already know all there is to know about you because you don’t have to actually work to get them to understand you. You’re repressed and latch on to the first person you find who actually sees something in you.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Fluttering eyelashes innocently] Am I wrong?

 

 **JIN:** I- wha- huh?!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Mumbling] Oh yes, here comes the shock. Then the anger-

 

 **JIN:** How the fuck do you think that you could- that you _know that-_ that- fuck you! Fuck off, I’m-

 

 **SHIZUYA:** The bargaining…

 

 **JIN:** -I’m not really like that, am I? I mean- I know I have, like, issues, but they’re not- I mean “morbid fascination with death” is a _little_ much, and-

 

 **SHIZUYA:** The depression…

 

 **JIN:**...I really am like that, huh? I… holy shit. God, I’m such a fucking… stupid…

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Claps hands together] Finally, acceptance!

 

 **JIN:** Wait, what are you saying?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Nothing at all. You feeling better after that little tirade, Kirigiri?

 

 **JIN:**...I guess. I mean, I know like I’m not going to be like this forever. I won’t let myself.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Fake smiling] That’s the spirit! I would clap you on the shoulder affectionately, but I do _not_ want to catch whatever germs are crawling all over a cape you haven’t washed in a week. Sincerely, I’ll pass.

 

 **JIN:** Do you see any washing machines around here?

 

_Shizuya wrinkled her nose._

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Brushing suit] Hopefully a new area will be opened to us soon. This blazer is dry clean only.

 

 **JIN:** You want someone to die just so you can get clean clothes?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** People have killed for less. Excuse me if I don’t exactly have a lot of faith in the rest of our class- we can’t just be expected to run around like rats with our tails chopped off and never go into the cabin.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** One of us is going to crack. Sadamu hasn’t even _come_ outside, so it’ll probably be him, judging by the little ‘incident’ with Takaaki last night.

 

 **JIN:** Sadamu isn’t like that.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Waving hand dismissively] Oh, yes, you can say that, but you’ve only known him for a week. There’s probably a reason he’s in trouble with the law. What was it Takaaki said? Dismembering someone?

 

 **JIN:** I wouldn’t exactly hold up Takaaki as the pinnacle of accuracy. He’s just jumping the bit to hurt someone.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Appraising with a critical eye] He’s a lot like you, you know.

 

 **JIN:** Are you fucking kidding me?!

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Your outlets are just different. Whilst your bottled up emotions seem to manifest in self-hatred, Takaaki’s blow outwards and he ends up-

 

_I held out a hand, hovering it just in front of her mouth._

 

 **JIN:** Nope, no more talk about how that bastard is supposedly “oh-so-similar” to me. Don’t want to hear it, don’t want to think about it.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] If you can’t handle my observations, you can seek companionship elsewhere.

 

 **JIN:** Why don’t you? I mean, if I’m such a disaster. Don’t you usually spend your time with Minon?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Looking to the side] Ah yes, Minon… She’s remarkably self-aware, you know. Reminds me sort of… but a lot less immature. She’s smart for someone who’s ready to drop dead at any second.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Makes the most _ridiculous_ claims, though… says that all her organs are just black slush inside of her. Like that would ever be medically possible.

 

 **JIN:** So you don’t think there’s anything… what, supernatural about her?

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Raising eyebrow] Do you?

 

 **JIN:** Of course not.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Good. Because it’s completely irrational… more so than this situation already is, anyway. She must just have contacts higher-up in the lottery industry who tip the balance in her favour.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Thinking; clutching cravat] I don’t know why she bothers, though. I suppose her medical treatment must be expensive, but she honestly doesn’t seem too fussed by it. That level of money is just… exorbitant.

 

 **JIN:** Just to play Devil’s Advocate-

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Don’t.

 

 **JIN:** ...Just to play Devil’s Advocate, you believe that Minon having contacts high-up in every single lottery company in Japan, and they have never been rooted out and found guilty of fraud and tampering with the results. And you believe this is _more_ likely than Minon _maybe_ having… some sort of supernatural powers.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Don’t mistake me as some sort of conspiracy theorist. I’m no Fujisaki. I simply believe that corruption- no matter how ridiculous and hyperspecific- is a _lot_ more common and innate in human nature than some mystical mumbo jumbo.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Looking to the side] I wish Minon would just be honest about it. Honesty is one of the world’s best virtues, after all. I deal excessively in it, so I’d know.

 

 **JIN:** Like you said, it’s probably just a delusion. I mean, if she’s that sick…

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Nodding] Oh, absolutely. I would pity her, but she’s made it abundantly clear she’s not interested in pity, and I despise showing any form of sympathy for other human beings.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Pointed look] Unlike some people, I don’t latch on to people after only a few days of knowing them.

 

 **JIN:** …

 

_I suddenly went very still. Shizuya brushed her fringe away from her eyes, sweeping her gaze across my tense form._

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Hm. I must have hit a nerve. Odd, I thought I’d dug all of those out ten minutes ago.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Turning back] Oh well. You’ve reminded me I have better company to acquaint myself with. If you will, I’ll be leaving now.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** [Looking over shoulder] Don’t die. I was only half-bored by our conversation. You’re far too easily offended, but you make for a good discussion partner. I would hate if you got picked off and left me all alone with these blithering goons.

 

_I took a deep breath, relaxing. Shizuya… well, she was a headache. But I guess this helped me get to know how she sees the world a little bit better… instead of just outright antagonism, she at least seems to have some purchase in making things better around here. I had a lot to think about, personally. A lot of the things she’d mentioned about me, I’d only been half-aware of- could I really change them?_

 

_Would I still be me if I did?_

 

 **JIN:** See you around, Shizuya.

 

 **SHIZUYA:** Like you could avoid me.

 

_And with that, she left, heading off towards the lake where I could vaguely spot Minon sliding around in the distance. Well, Minon or a giant bundle of light brown hair and dirty green clothes. I sighed, subconsciously adjusting my clothes around me, and straightening my posture._

 

_Maybe next time I should try talking to someone who wouldn’t immediately rip me to shreds with a simple conversation. I brushed some fallen snow off of my shoulder where it had gathered, frowning to see it was quickly covered with another layer. Was it just me, or had things gotten a little chillier…?_

 

_It was probably my imagination._

 

_I scanned the surrounding area for anyone I could talk to- which meant anyone but Takaaki. I could probably even stomach a conversation with Koichi right now. But it seemed like everyone had scurried off to do their own thing. The closest I could find to someone available for talking seemed to be Ruka and Isana, who were fiddling with a couple of large cardboard boxes. It looked like they were trying to push them across the snow._

 

_Well, at least that looked interesting enough. I walked over until they came into focus, and just… kind of stared at them, hoping for someone to initiate the conversation. I really was hopeless when it came to this kind of stuff, huh?_

 

_Luckily enough, Isana seemed to notice me, standing up to wave brightly._

 

 **ISANA:** [Gesturing to boxes] Hey, Jin! Mind helping us along? We’re trying to move these into the woods.

 

 **JIN:** Any particular reason for that?

 

 **RUKA:** [Wiping sweat off of brow] I found some… preventative traps in the talent room. Around Koichi’s section. I’m just trying to set them up.

 

 **RUKA:** It’s pretty much impossible to kill someone in the cabin, or within view of the windows, especially when me and Isana have been setting up patrol routines. Which means the only place you can really kill someone without being caught is the woods.

 

 **ISANA:** [Shivering exaggeratedly] And I’ve seen enough slasher films to know that’s _exactly_ where a murderer would strike first!

 

 **JIN:** You watch slasher films?

 

 **ISANA:** Well, I watched _one._ That’s enough to get a pretty good idea, though!

 

 **JIN:** I’m not sure I’d be much help. I don’t really- I mean. My muscles are pretty much non existent.

 

 **ISANA:** [Winking flirtatiously] Then you can just stand around and, like, look pretty! Gimmie some eye candy.

 

_I flushed, and Isana giggled._

 

 **ISANA:** Only teasing.

 

 **RUKA:** [Rolling eyes] This is why I don’t understand you, Isana. You think people like _Jin_ are attractive.

 

 **JIN:**...Am I meant to be offended by that?

 

_I’m actually pretty glad that nobody is slobbering over me for once. Ruka just laughed gently, shaking her head._

 

 **RUKA:** Well, don’t single yourself out. I don’t think _any_ boy is attractive, and I think that’s going to stay consistent for the rest of my life.

 

_...So Ruka is gay, huh? Weird… I wonder how she had a kid then. I didn’t really want to think about it._

 

 **RUKA:** [Handing over sketchbook] Here. Just mark where we put each trap. So we don’t end up getting caught in these later.

 

_I looked at the sketchbook, noticing an impeccably drawn diagram of the woods. I whistled, impressed by whoever’d sketched this out. Ruka grinned._

 

 **RUKA:** [Proud; puffing out chest] Not my best work, but I think it does alright. Isana and I scouted out the woods yesterday. Got a pretty good map of the area.

 

 **JIN:** You’re a very talented artist.

 

 **RUKA:** Oh, I can only reproduce stuff. Not too great with original work.

 

 **ISANA:** [Punching Ruka affectionately on the shoulder] Yeah, right! You’re so humble, Ruru!

 

 **RUKA:** [Blushing slightly; chuckling] Well, you can believe whatever you want, Isana. I just don’t want to be getting a big head here.

 

_Isana giggled, before bending over to start pushing the box again, and Ruka went back to her own. I just followed behind them awkwardly as they pushed the boxes towards the forest, moving at a pretty decent pace. If I’d tried to push these, I’d probably only make it a centimetre. It’s a shame that Sadamu hadn’t come outside today- he might have been able to handle two at once._

 

 **RUKA:** [Straining slightly] We only have to get these to the perimeter of the woods, and then we can open them up and pull out the traps.

 

 **JIN:**...How many traps are in each box?

 

 **RUKA:** Twenty or so.

 

 **ISANA:** [Panting with effort] Huhh… they’re… hff! About ten kilos each.

 

 **JIN:** You’re pushing _200 kilograms?!_

 

 **ISANA:** Yup!

 

 **RUKA:** We have to be thorough. I don’t want anyone sneaking through here.

 

 **JIN:** So how come you guys think you can trust _me?_

 

 **RUKA:** [Flashing grin] Oh, I don’t know… you haven’t really struck me as the murderous type, Jin. More self-destructive than anything.

 

 **JIN:** Ouch.

 

 **RUKA:** That’s not a bad thing. I just think you don’t have it in you to kill anyone.

 

 **JIN:** Well- you know what? Fair.

 

_It’s not like I’m going to correct them on that. They don’t need to be reminded of the fact that a good chunk of my work involves sending people to death row._

 

_Once we finally reached the edge of the forest, I lent a helping hand to crack open the boxes. They were already soaked through and soggy with snow, so it wasn’t like I had to do much work, but it felt nice to help them. But what they revealed was… definitely not what I was expecting._

 

 **JIN:** Are these… _bear traps?!_

 

 **ISANA:** [Smiling brightly; hands on hips] Yup! I woulda prefered something a _liiiiittle_ less deadly, but if someone’s planning on killing someone, we gotta be prepared to give them a nasty bite!

 

 **RUKA:** Don’t worry, you can adjust these ones so that they hardly do any harm. They seem very advanced.

 

 **RUKA:** At most they’ll probably just… give you a few scratches, and they alert us whenever they’re set off so we can hurry and go and pry you out.

 

 **JIN:** Well I guess that’s a little more reasonable… you’re still planning on warning everyone that they’re out here, right?

 

 **RUKA:** [Awkward; wincing] Er… not exactly.

 

 **ISANA:** [Nervously laughing] We figured if we told everyone than a potential murderer could, like, slip through them.

 

 **RUKA:** Don’t worry, we’re still going to tell everyone that the woods are dangerous once we have our dinner meeting. We’re just not going to… tell them all the details.

 

 **RUKA:** Can we trust you not to spill?

 

 **JIN:** Yeah- I mean, uh. Sure?

 

 **ISANA:** [Saluting] Thanks, Jinny!

 

_I shifted uncomfortably. This still seemed like they were going a little bit far with this, but if the traps really were so high-tech, they probably wouldn’t hurt anyone seriously. Maybe I was just overreacting._

 

_The pair of girls began pulling out the traps, loading up their arms with a couple of them. Ruka stuffed one inside her ever-present baby sling, making sure to tie it tight around her neck._

 

 **RUKA:** [Grinning; thumbs up] Alright, well, now’s the time that we split up. Jin, you’re coming with me.

 

 **JIN:** Why can’t I go with Isana?

 

 **RUKA:** I mean, you can if you want. You just have my map, and Isana’s pretty much memorised where everything’s meant to go. She’s got more spacial awareness than I have.

 

 **RUKA:** [Worried; clutching traps close to chest] I don’t want to accidentally misplace any of these.

 

 **ISANA:** Besides, I run a lot faster than Ruru! I don’t think you could keep up, Jinny!

 

 **JIN:** Thanks for the vote of confidence, Isana.

 

 **ISANA:** Any time!

 

**_Spend time with Ruka?_ **

**_> > Yes_ **

_ >> No _

 

 **JIN:** Alright, sure. I’ll go with you, Ruka.

 

 **RUKA:** [Smiling daintily; curtseying] Thank you very much, Jin. Come along now!

 

_Ruka strode confidently into the woods, and I trailed behind her with the map clutched in my hands. It was surprisingly easy to keep track of where we were- the map had been labelled with landmarks to help navigate the area. I barely had to do anything but tell Ruka where to put the traps every few minutes. Other than that, we walked in silence._

 

 _I supposed I should be grateful for that- I never really got a chance to just walk and_ **_think,_ ** _at least not since we’d entered this biodome. So, naturally, I decided to ruin the silence by talking. Because I’m an idiot._

 

 **JIN:** Why do you keep taking everyone’s clothes?

 

 **RUKA:** [Awkwardly gesturing to body] Well, what does it look like? I didn’t think to bring a change of clothes along. I thought Monokuma was joking about making us do all the work…

 

 **RUKA:** He can set up an entire killing game, but not move our clothes over? Please.

 

 **RUKA:** Uuuuunfortunately, that turned out to be wrong. And then my dress got all ripped when I was first figuring out how to set these traps. So I’ve been borrowing other people’s clothes until Maiku finishes repairing it.

 

 **JIN:** Well yeah- I guess that makes sense.

 

 **RUKA:** [Conspiratorial wink] Do you want to hear what’s _really_ weird about all of this, though?

 

 **JIN:** Besides the fact that we’re in a murder game, and everything else?

 

 **RUKA:** Don’t be a smartmouth, you know what I mean. What’s weird is that… there _were_ copies of my dress in the first place.

 

 **RUKA:** That shouldn’t have been possible. I made this dress myself. It’s one of a kind.

 

 **JIN:** ...Same here. Or so I thought. They must just be really good replicas. Don’t really think you can just _buy_ a green tweed cape.

 

 **RUKA:** No, no. They were _identical,_ Jin. Same stains and everything. I know it.

 

 **JIN:** So… what are you suggesting?

 

 **RUKA:** [Troubled; looking off into the distance] Cloning.

 

 **JIN:**...Cloning.

 

 **RUKA:** Well, it’s not far off from _everything else_ that’s going on, as you were so _generous_ as to fuckin’ point out.

 

 **RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] I’m just worried about what this means for Daiya. Are they… using him as a test subject.

 

_Daiya…? Who’s-_

 

 **RUKA:** I didn’t carry that fuckin’ sucker for nine months for him to end up dead like his brother.

 

_Oh yeah. Her son. Wait… brother?_

 

 **JIN:** Daiya had a brother?

 

_Ruka suddenly froze, looking at least three shades paler. Her hands started to tremble, and she gave me a quick, almost frightened look._

 

 **RUKA:** I really don’t want to talk about it.

 

 **JIN:** You’re the one who brought him up.

 

 **RUKA:** [Narrowing eyes] By. Accident. And if y’wanna keep your fingers, you’ll shut up about him, ya got it?

 

 **JIN:** F-Fine. Sorry for prying.

 

 **RUKA:** [Sighing; remorseful] ...No, don’t be. I lost my head there a little bit.

 

_I would think that was a reaction to the neurotoxin, but… Ruka had always been a little two-sided. Like two different people were battling for dominance inside her body- wait. That sounded a little bit too similar to Jekyll and Hide. It was more like she was repressing her bad manners and harsh emotions, and whenever she was stressed- or around people she felt comfortable enough to display them too- they shot out all at once._

 

_Hey, maybe I’d learned a thing or two from Shizuya about how to read people. Although it wasn’t like I was going to bring that up. My hands had suffered enough for a lifetime, and it looked like Ruka was pretty self-aware of it already._

 

 **JIN:** I was being an idiot. I keep doing that recently.

 

 **RUKA:** [Smirking in amusement] Yeah, but you’re not nearly as bad as half the people here. Take that as a compliment.

 

 **RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] Hiroko and Hitomiko, on the other hand…

 

 **JIN:** What do you have against them?

 

 **RUKA:** What do _I_ have against them? Th’fuck do _they_ have against _me!_ I’m just tryna keep everyone safe, and they have to pull stupid shit and talk smack about everyone around them. Fuckers needed to be put in their place.

 

 **RUKA:** [Regaining composure] ...To put that more elegantly, I don’t like that they’re provoking people and starting arguments over nothing. On top of that, they keep endangering themselves and others, and it is _remarkably_ stressful when you’re trying to lead something and it’s blatant that the people you’re trying to help don’t respect you.

 

 **JIN:** Well, I’m not the leader type, so I wouldn’t know.

 

 **RUKA:** Funny. You never pegged me as a follower, Jin.

 

_I chuckled._

 

 **JIN:** I honestly don’t think I’m much of anything, really. Just a… a bystander, I guess. I like to keep to myself.

 

 **RUKA:** You’re still remarkably social for someone with that attitude.

 

 **JIN:** Well… I made a promise. To a friend. To try and get to know you people. Can’t say that it’s successful a hundred percent of the time, but I think I’m doing okay.

 

_Ruka smiled at that, placing down her last trap and quickly setting it. I wondered how she’d managed to rip her dress earlier- had she stepped into the trap to test it? Or had it been caught some other way?_

 

_I guess it wasn’t my business. Ruka dusted her hands off, before leaning against a tree and sighing._

 

 **RUKA:** Well, Jin. If you want to get to know me, I’m going to have to get to know you as well. It’s only fair.

 

_Yeah, no, I’ve opened up enough for one day._

 

 **JIN:** Don’t you have other traps to set?

 

 **RUKA:** [Raising questioning eyebrow] Avoiding the conversation, huh?

  


**RUKA:** No, I don’t. Isana volunteered to do the bulk of them. I don’t like leaving a job unfinished, so I was set to only do a portion that I could complete in one go.

 

 **JIN:** I’m not avoiding anything. I’m just not very interesting.

 

 **RUKA:** You’re a world famous detective! Of _course_ you’re interesting. I, on the other hand, am just a humble jeweler. Not really much to talk about there.

 

 **JIN:** It’s just you seem to have had a more… exciting life than I have.

 

 **RUKA:** Like investigating murders isn’t exciting?

 

 **JIN:** Not anymore… and that’s only a tiny portion of my job, anyway. I tend to deal more with marital disputes and stalking issues. Things that people go to a P.I. for, not the police.

 

 **JIN:** It’s only wealthy people who don’t trust the government with high-profile cases that tend to hire me, or people trying to deal with politically-charged murders.

 

 **RUKA:** [Clapping hands together] See! That’s _interesting!_ I would have had no idea that you dealt with _political drama_ if you hadn’t told me!

 

 **JIN:** I’m… not really sure murders class as ‘drama’.

 

 **RUKA:** Well, not really… but you’ve still seen things most people wouldn’t. Got to see the true influencers of the world.

 

 **RUKA:** [Troubled; looking off into the distance] The closest I’ve been to politicians were dealing with the mess of the Ishimaru family… that and my parents work.

 

 **JIN:** Are your parents politicians?

 

 **RUKA:** Oh, no. They run the shop with me. They just tend to deal with higher-profile targets, while I deal with everyone else. I mean, if one of the higher ups is planning a wedding or engagement, they don’t really want just anybody to know about it, especially if it’s being publicised- so my parents just deal with them in the backroom.

 

 **RUKA:** They’re… quite prominent community figures. A lot of people know about them. They have ties to pretty much everyone… especially the Ishimarus.

 

 **JIN:** Is that because you and Takaaki met in middle school?

 

 **RUKA:** [Confused; holding back of neck] Huh? What are you t-

 

 **RUKA:** [Quickly nodding] Oh! Yes, yes. That’s how he met the family.

 

_That was… a little suspicious._

 

 **JIN:** So, Takaaki’s dad. What’s he like? I mean… Takaaki told me that his dad was pretty shit. Don’t know why he chose to tell _me_ of all people, but is that just… teenage angst? Something legitimate?

 

 **RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] Toranosuke Ishimaru is th’ biggest piece a’ fuckin’ shit in the entire fuckin’ universe.

 

 **JIN:** Shit. That bad?

 

_Maybe that explained why Takaaki was such a huge piece of shit as well. The bastard gene must have carried over._

 

 **RUKA:** Fucker completely screwed Taka over. I know you- I mean. He tried to kill you. And I’m so fuckin’ mad at him for that, but…

 

 **RUKA:** [Troubled; looking off into the distance] This isn’t the real Taka. He’s just- he’s so much _different_ when we’re just alone together. Sure, he’s still a bitch, but he’s not _violent._

 

 **RUKA:** And before Toranosuke pushed him into the police academy at such a young age, he wasn’t even that rude. A good kid.

 

 **RUKA:** I don’t know what the fuck happened in the past few years. He doesn’t like to talk about it… but I know I’m all too ready to rip out Toranosuke’s fuckin’ spine.

 

 **JIN:** Heh, well… I mean he’s away from him now. Maybe he’ll calm down soon?

 

_That is, if he doesn’t kill anyone before that._

 

 **RUKA:** [Shaking head] No… you don’t understand. He’s acting like this _because_ he’s away from Toranosuke. You know how he was acting this morning? He puts on that act 24/7. Always the goody-two-shoes, never swearing, nothing. He drops it around me, but otherwise… that’s what he forces himself to be.

 

 **RUKA:** Can’t get sad, or angry, or anything. He has to force himself to act chipper all the time, or his father’s reputation would tank. At least, that’s what he’s been told. I think he just… finally cracked under the pressure.

 

 **RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] Toranosuke put so much pressure on him to turn him into a diamond, but he’s just exploded instead, and now we’re the ones getting hit by his shards. Still doesn’t excuse him hurting you, though.

 

 **RUKA:** I just… miss him a lot.

 

 **JIN:** Ah…

 

_I’d never really had friends, so I didn’t know what Ruka was going through, but I could imagine it was hard. To have someone you’re so close to act like this hurt himself and hurt other people. But I did understand the pressure- except that I’d escaped, but kept putting pressure on myself._

 

_Maybe Shizuya was more right than I gave her credit for regarding the two of us._

 

 **RUKA:** [Regaining composure] Oh well. No use complaining over shattered glass. We just have to try our best to move forwards.

 

 **JIN:** Right.

 

 **RUKA:** So, Jin. Got any interesting friends of your own?

 

 **JIN:** Not, uh. Not really.

 

_None at all, actually._

 

 **RUKA:** [Conspiratorial wink] Well, that’s not true. You have me!

 

 **JIN:** You’re my friend?

 

 **RUKA:** I’ll pretend not to be offended by that. Yes, I am. I wouldn’t just spend hours talking to just anyone. I like you, Jin.

 

 **JIN:**...Not romantically, though?

 

 **RUKA:** [Narrowing eyes] I literally told you I was a lesbian an hour ago.

 

 **JIN:** No- I- I understand that! It’s just that, uh… most people who try to be my friend here end up hitting on me. I’m really not sure what they see, but…

 

 **RUKA:** Well, I mean. Your hair is nice?

 

_That questioning tone really made me feel a whole lot more self-confident, Ruka. Thanks._

 

 **JIN:** Ugh, my hair. I need to cut it soon.

 

 **RUKA:** Good luck trying to find a hairdresser.

 

 **JIN:** No, I don’t- I cut it myself. Reason why it’s so choppy.

 

 **RUKA:** Mm. You seem to have a thing for being self-dependant. Maybe that’s why people flock to you. They want to be a part of someone’s world when they think that they’re lonely.

 

 **JIN:** Well, that’s kind of ironic. I _like_ being on my own. That’s the whole reason I stay out of everyone’s business.

 

 **RUKA:** [Chuckling; fingers over mouth] Jin, I think you’re the most _in-your-business_ guy I’ve ever met. You love your questions.

 

 **JIN:** Yeah, well, I haven’t exactly had much time socialising outside of interrogations, so…

 

 **RUKA:** You’re adorkable.

 

 **JIN:** That’s not a word.

 

 **RUKA:** But it _is_ a reason people might want to get with you! Not that I understand the whole appeal of men anyway.

 

 **JIN:** You had a kid with one.

 

 **RUKA:** An unfortunate mistake. Daiya’s the best thing to ever happen to me, but his father… eugh. I’m glad I dumped him the moment I found out I was pregnant. He would have made a horrible father, not to mention a horrible _boyfriend._

 

 **RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] I might have to get back together with him, at least temporarily… I can’t leave things incomplete, after all.

 

 **JIN:** Incomplete?

 

 **RUKA:** Ah! Excuse me, thinking out loud…

 

_Weird. I can’t understand dating someone you’re not attracted to for whatever secret and likely arbitrary reason Ruka has._

 

 **JIN:** Well, we should focus on getting out of here before you start thinking about that.

 

 **RUKA:** Thinking about the future _is_ how I plan to get out of here. I can’t work towards leaving if I don’t have hope that I’ll be able to leave. I need the motivation.

 

 **RUKA:** That, and I need to get Daiya back. I can’t leave him without a mother when he doesn’t have a father either. It’s just not… it’s not fair.

 

_Ruka suddenly stepped forwards, clasping my hands between her. I looked up into her eyes, as she stared intensely at me._

 

 **RUKA:** [Dead serious] Jin, if I die. Promise you’ll look for him. He’s the most precious thing I’ve ever seen, and I work with luxuries. I… I don’t think I’d rest easy knowing there’s a chance he could die in some laboratory somewhere, or would grow up without remembering me.

 

 **RUKA:** You have to promise to find him.

 

 **JIN:** Why… why me?

 

 **RUKA:** You’re a genius, aren’t you? I know Isana is smart, and Takaaki is determined enough to find him. But you’re the detective. You’re my best shot at this. And besides… you’re Monokuma’s “favourite student”, whatever that means. You probably have more of a chance than the rest of us at reasoning with him.

 

_I winced as Ruka’s grip tightened, the scar on my hand blooming with sudden pain. Another promise, huh…?_

 

 **JIN:** I- of course I will.

 

_I really have to stop making promises I can’t keep. But something about Ruka’s expression- I could tell she was grieving deeply, even as she tried not to cry. I’d never seen that look in someone’s eye before. A parent who desperately wanted the best for their kids… something I’d never got to experience. But now she was here, and she wanted so much for someone she’d given life to… would it even have been ethical to decline her plea?_

 

_I was a loner, not an asshole._

 

 **RUKA:** [Struggling to hold back tears] Thank you, Jin. You don’t know how much this means to me.

 

 **JIN:** Of course I don’t understand. But I know it’s important.

 

 **RUKA:** [Drawing back] I’d hug you, but that’d probably make you uncomfortable.

 

 **JIN:** God, _thank you._ Nobody seems to get that.

 

_Ruka giggled, before beginning to trudge back along the path out of the forest. I followed, smiling slightly to myself. Well, that was certainly an… interesting encounter. I think I know Ruka a lot better now, even though I might have gotten into something deeper than I could handle. But that’s just another reason to keep living, isn’t it? If I owe things to other people? I couldn’t give into my selfish desires, no matter how overpowering they may be._

 

_Though, I couldn’t help but shake the feeling that Ruka wasn’t exactly telling me the whole truth back then. Not that I was entitled to it, but something just felt… very suspicious about the way she talked about her boyfriend and parents. I didn’t particularly want to push it, but I couldn’t help but feel curious. Takaaki would know the truth, but hell if I’m going to try to talk to him. Kotohiko could have told me, but…_

 

_Kotohiko was gone._

 

_…_

 

_But not all of him._

 

_His journal. I’d completely forgotten about it after the move- the motive and the awkward stuff with Koichi taking first priority. I’d never even gotten a chance to look into that- it could potentially hold the secrets of everyone in here. Was it intruding to read the diary of the dead? Kotohiko had probably published most of the stuff anyway, and it wasn’t like I was going to read the whole thing. I didn’t need to know everything about everyone, I just wanted to know if Ruka was up to anything shady._

 

_I still felt bad being so suspicious of her when she’d placed all of her trust in me, but I needed to know. I didn’t want to be signing my life away to anything I definitely didn’t want to get into, no matter how much I personally enjoyed spending time with Ruka._

 

_When the two of us reached the end of the forest, I bid Ruka a quick farewell and hurried back towards the cabin. If I could make it there without anyone noticing, maybe I could-_

 

 **??? (Voice):** _WheRe ArE yoU Going… KiriGiri?_

 

_A distorted voice snapped me out of my focus, and I froze, before whirling around to find the source of it. Holy shit, that had sounded like death itself, or at least someone on the brink of it. But no matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t see anyone near me- that is, until I felt some icy fingers wrap around my ankle._

 

_I was not proud of the noise I made after feeling that._

 

 **MINON:** [Snickering; hand over mouth] You should have… seen your face… heh heh.

 

 **JIN:** Minon, what the _fuck_ are you doing?

 

 **MINON:** Getting your attention… dummy.

 

_Minon unclasped her hand from my ankle, shuffling to her feet and staring drearily at me._

 

 **MINON:** I want to talk to you… count your blessings that I’m even... interested.

 

 **JIN:** Well, I’m flattered, but I’m actually busy right now.

 

 **MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] Doing what…? Crying under your... covers?

 

_I bristled at the comment, and Minon snickered again._

 

 **MINON:** Don’t worry… you big baby. I’ll be quick.

 

_Did I really want to waste my time on this?_

 

**_Spend time with Minon?_ **

**_> > No_ **

_ >> No _

 

 **JIN:** As much as I would _love_ to talk to you, Minon- and believe me, I really would, I have other things I need to do.

 

 **MINON:** [Digging finger in ear] Hm? Didn’t hear you. I must have… suddenly gone deaf.

 

 **MINON:** I’m just going to assume you said ‘yes’.

 

_I’m really not going to get rid of her, huh? Damn it. I guess the journal can wait… I better just make this conversation as quick and painless as possible._

 

 **JIN:**...Fine. What do you want to talk to me about?

 

 **MINON:** Let’s not… talk here.

 

_Minon placed a hand on my shoulder, gently guiding me over to the back of the cabin, before letting go._

 

 **MINON:** [Thinking; looking at hand] So, like… you were talking to Shizuya before, weren’t you…?

 

 **JIN:** Not voluntarily.

 

 **MINON:** Funny, she said you were practically… begging her for her… astounding advice and marvellous company.

 

_I pulled a face._

 

 **MINON:** But pushing that aside… she talked about me with you, didn’t she…?

 

 **JIN:** How’d you know?

 

 **MINON:** [Wiggling fingers] I’m psychic.

 

 **JIN:** …

 

 **MINON:** …

 

 **JIN:** Like, genuinely?

 

 **MINON:** Jeez, you’re gullible… of course not. Shizuya just told me.

 

 **MINON:** [Playing with medical bracelet] I’m just… interested in _what_ she said about me. She just mentioned that she brought me up… no details or anything.

 

 **JIN:** If I tell you, will you leave me alone?

 

 **MINON:** Depends on what you say.

 

_I sighed. Minon pretended not to notice._

 

 **JIN:** All she said was that you had, like- necrosis or something. And she thinks your powers are just a big conspiracy.

 

 **MINON:** [Slamming fist into palm] I _knew_ it… of course she didn’t believe me.

 

 **JIN:** Is that really such a surprise? Superhuman powers aren’t exactly the most commonplace things, Minon.

 

 **MINON:** Mmm… I guess I forgot what it’s like to be a normie.

 

 **JIN:** …“Normie”?

 

 **MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] Someone who’s so boring they… can’t even entertain the idea of anyone being better than they are… or having powers beyond what they can comprehend…

 

 **MINON:** [Wiggling fingers] Oh, but I do have necrosis. That black stuff around my fingertips… it’s not dirt… heh.

 

 **MINON:** [Pointing to finger] Wanna see me tug one off?

 

 **JIN:** Uh- absolutely fucking not.

 

 **MINON:** Oh, it’ll be fine… they grow back.

 

_Minon was… seriously deluded._

 

 **MINON:** Mmmrm… they’re not really loose enough yet for me to show you, though…

 

 **JIN:** Good. I _really_ don’t want to see that.

 

 **MINON:** And I don’t care… I want you to believe me.

 

 **JIN:** What’s the point? I never talk to you.

 

 **MINON:** [Thinking; staring at hand] It’s just… fun. A party trick, I guess…

 

_Serious self mutilation was a party trick now. Okay. What the actual fuck._

 

 **MINON:** Hmm…

 

_Seemingly out of nowhere, Minon held out her hand, and miraculously… an apple fell into her hand. Shards of glass followed it, and I had to duck to get out of their way, but Minon seemed somehow untouched by every piece. She coughed, and then took a bite of the apple._

 

 **MINON:** [Looking up] Thanks for throwing that, Sadamu.

 

_I looked up as well, spotting a bewildered looking Sadamu staring outside of a hole in his room. I whipped my head back to Minon, who had tossed the apple behind her back and was currently pulling at her fingers, which seemed strangely more rotten than they had been a second ago._

 

 **JIN:** How the hell did you-

 

_There wasn’t a pop as her finger slid off, just a disgusting squelching noise. I had to fight not to throw up as she dangled the putrid length of flesh in front of me, before tossing it behind her to join the apple. I couldn’t stop wretching, scrambling back against the wooden panelling of the cabin as I bent double trying to get ahold of myself._

 

 **JIN:** Y-your- your-

 

 **MINON:** [Wiggling fingers] Ooooh. My fingers… they’re all mushyyyy… how horrific…

 

 **MINON:** [Sarcastic; raising eyebrow] Please. It’s like you’ve never seen mutilation or dismemberment before. You didn’t seem to have much of an issue with Tokiya.

 

 **JIN:** That was because he wasn’t _alive!_

 

 **MINON:** Jeez… I told you not to worry… it’s not permanent.

 

_Minon approached me, placing her ruined hand on my shoulder. I shuddered, trying not to look at it, and ending up staring her in the face as well. She squeezed her eyes shut, mumbling something under her breath. She drew back after a few seconds, poking me in the forehead with something far too slimy to be a finger._

 

 **MINON:** [Wiggling fingers] Hey presto.

 

_Somehow… remarkably, impossibly, her finger had grown back. Even the existing ones looked a little bit healthier, even if the tips were still pitch black and smelled something terrible. I blinked, before rubbing my eyes, not quite believing the sight in front of me. What the fuck. What the fuck._

 

_There was no way that could be real, right? People didn’t just grow back lost flesh. They weren’t drop tail lizards. This should have been impossible… but I couldn’t deny the facts in front of me. Had it just been sleight of hand? No, I’d seen her fingers. It wasn’t like that juvenile prank where someone pretended to chop their own thumb in half. It had just been… gone. It didn’t even look like a prosthesis was possible- when she’d ripped it off, there’d been visible bone sticking out. There were no seams on this new finger- it looked like nothing had ever happened to it._

 

 **JIN:** I think I’m going to faint…

 

 **MINON:** [Thinking; looking at hand] Stop being such a huge baby… I was just using my luck.

 

 **JIN:** What part of ripping off your own finger and growing it back could be constituted as _lucky?!_

 

 **MINON:** Hm… not to give away my power’s secrets, but…

 

 **MINON:** [Bored; rolling eyes] If I use it to aid myself, my body degrades. If I use it to help someone else, my body heals. Kinda boring… you know? Can only win so many lotteries before I… turn into a skeleton.

 

 **JIN:** That’s fucking ridiculous. The- the nanobots. They must have healed you!

 

_I’m surprised I didn’t think about that before._

 

 **MINON:** Jeez, you’re so… stupid. Didn’t you hear what Sadamu said about them…? They have a hard time… growing back lost flesh. They wouldn’t have been able to… restore my finger.

 

 **MINON:** [Yawning; hand covering mouth] It’s so boring when… everyone just dismisses stuff they can’t explain… super lame.

 

 **JIN:** But why… if superpowers exist, then… what?

 

 **MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] Wow… I actually managed to… short out your brain! That’s fun…

 

 **JIN:** _How did you-_ what?!

 

 **MINON:** Listen… I don’t understand all of it. I just know how it works… that’s all. Go and bug some scientist if you want to poke and prod at me…

 

 **MINON:** [Playing with hospital bracelet] Not that that hasn’t already happened…

 

 **JIN:** So, what are you- some science experiment?

 

 **MINON:** I’m a human being… just a weird one.

 

 **MINON:** [Thinking; looking at hand] Hope Peak’s first lucky student… what a shame they set me in this trap. Unless that’s how they intend to test my luck…

 

 **MINON:** According to the letter they sent me, I’m part of a trial to see if ‘luck’ can be called a talent… since it’s so fickle and everything. And nobody can prove that it exists…

 

 **MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] Well, except me.

 

 **JIN:** So… if your luck is so amazing, what’s stopping you from just killing someone and getting away with it?

 

 **MINON:** [Yawning; hand covering mouth] Honestly…? I really just can’t be bothered. I’m fine here… well fed, good company… well, _one_ of you is good company. I don’t need to bother about anything… I’m happy to stay here forever if I have to.

 

 **MINON:** After all, I have virtual immunity to _being_ murdered… why waste all the fuss and kill someone myself? I just need to coast through here until I get bored enough that I want to escape…

 

 **MINON:** [Confident grin] And then… I can probably find a way out without even having to _touch_ any of you losers… making the impossible possible… that’s kind of my jam.

 

 **JIN:** Holy shit…

 

 **MINON:** Holy shit is right, dumbass. I’m basically a goddess… wouldn’t want the responsibility that comes with that, though…

 

 **MINON:** [Arms held out wide; eyes swimming] So don’t cross me, Jin… I don’t have any qualms hurting myself a little to cause you some pain…

 

 **MINON:** [Bored; rolling eyes] Not that you’re _nearly_ annoying enough for me to do that… not yet, at least.

 

 **JIN:** G-Glad that’s the case.

 

 **JIN:** But, uh… Minon? When you grew your finger back, you needed to give your luck to someone else. What exactly did you do?

 

 **MINON:** [Cracking knuckles; stretching] Nyehh… it depends. I didn’t really had something general in mind, so… I just gave you a little bit of my luck to last through the night. You’re welcome if you find a million dollars on the ground or something.

 

 **JIN:** Not that there’s much use for that… what with being stuck here.

 

 **MINON:** I never said it _had_ to be money-related… maybe your body magically mutated and you’re immune to Monokuma’s neurotoxin now. You never know… unless I have something to focus it on, it’s really a wild card.

 

 **MINON:** that being said… I don’t really use it to help other people anyway… so I honestly don’t know what the hell’s gonna happen to you. I just use it to game the lottery, mostly…

 

 **JIN:** That explains why you look like that.

 

 **MINON:** [Posing] It’s corpse-chic… you never know, it might be in style soon.

 

 **JIN:** I really hope not, if that means everyone’s going to go around ripping their fingers off.

 

 **MINON:** Oh, c’mon… stop being so squeamish. You really _are_ a big baby…

 

 **JIN:** Listen, you might be desensitised to it, but I’m certainly _not._ How the hell do your doctors deal with you?

 

 **MINON:** Like I said, they’re the ones monitoring my condition… they only let up their reigns for Hope’s Peak.

 

 **JIN:** So, what, do you live in a hospital or something?

 

 **MINON:** [Absent; sucking on fingers] Mmm… not really. I have my own house… I just visit the hospital a lot because I try my luck a lot…

 

 **MINON:** My dad likes to keep me home, though…

 

 **JIN:** Is he a doctor too?

 

 **MINON:** Nah, just someone addicted to gambling on lotto cards.

 

 **JIN:** Oh. Does he use his own luck powers for that?

 

 **MINON:** Obviously not, dummy… I told you I game the lottery, and I’m not old enough to buy my own tickets…

 

 **MINON:** I just hold them and work my magic.

 

 **JIN:** Does that count as using your luck for him, or you?

 

 **MINON:** [Thinking; looking at hand] See, you’d think it would be helping him, y’know… but it’s not. Since I’m getting the money too, as his daughter.

 

 **JIN:** And you don’t stop him? I mean… he must see what he’s doing to you.

 

 **MINON:** I’m not his _real_ kid. Just the cash cow he was lucky enough to find… not that he doesn’t care about me. He’s just paranoid about losing it all again… not like fifty billion is going to disappear overnight… idiot.

 

 **MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] I guess he’s so amazed by me because his _actual_ kid is such a failure…

 

 **JIN:** You have siblings?

 

 **MINON:** Not biologically, but yeah… surprising?

 

 **JIN:** Kind of. You’ve always struck me as an only child.

 

 **MINON:** Tabito Yoshihama is the biggest failure in the entire globe… he’s an entrepreneur that can make no money. Nothing he tries ends up well, but he keeps insisting he’s on the edge of a breakthrough…

 

 **MINON:** [Bored; rolling eyes] He’s such a pain… you think someone in their twenties would learn not to be so _whiny…_

 

 **JIN:** What a glowing review.

 

 **MINON:** Hey… Shizuya taught me to speak my mind…

 

_Like you didn’t already?_

 

 **MINON:** I’m just glad he’s not around to stink up the house… that’s my job.

 

 **MINON:** [Absent; sucking on fingers] I mean… that’s probably all he’s good at… never got to really meet him, so I wouldn’t know.

 

 **JIN:** You never got to meet your own brother?

 

 **MINON:** _Adopted_ brother… how many times do I have to tell you that…? He moved out before I moved in.

 

 **MINON:** It’s just been me and dad… and our stacks of cash.

 

 **JIN:** Still… he’s legally your brother, and you haven’t even had a chance to introduce yourself?

 

 **MINON:** Eh… he probably doesn’t even know I exist.

 

 **MINON:** [Thinking; looking at hand] In that case, I guess… I really am an only child.

 

 **MINON:** Oh well… at least Raikichi keeps things interesting.

 

 **JIN:**...Who?

 

 **MINON:** [Sarcastic; raising eyebrow] My _boyfriend_ , dummy…

 

 **MINON:** Maybe when I got all the luck in the world I stole some from him… he could probably crash a car if he was in the back seat and breathed a little too hard.

 

 **MINON:** It’s kind of funny… so I keep him around. Good guy to have around if my leg falls off and I need to… give someone good luck… he needs it.

 

 **JIN:** That’s kind of a superficial reason to have a boyfriend.

 

 **MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] So’s just finding the nearest person who knows everything about you… huh, Jin?

 

 **JIN:**...So Shizuya told you about that too?

 

 **MINON:** Yeah… we’re practically blood sisters. Except I don’t have blood… just weird black sludge.

 

 **MINON:** [Wiggling fingers] If you don’t believe me about that… I’d be happy to demonstrate.

 

 **JIN:** No-No, I think I’m good, actually!

 

 **MINON:** Pussy.

 

 **MINON:** [Absent; sucking on fingers] But nah… you know, I don’t really blame you for that… might as well have fun.

 

 **MINON:** This whole killing game is so boring… I’m bored right now Jin… I’m so boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-

 

 **JIN:** Are you just going to like, keep doing that?

 

 **MINON:** -ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-

 

 **JIN:** Because I can leave if you want me to.

 

 **MINON:** -ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooored.

 

 **MINON:** [Bored; rolling eyes] I’m bored, Jin.

 

 **JIN:** I gathered.

 

 **JIN:** Why don’t you just go talk to Shizuya again?

 

 **MINON:** Wow. Novel idea. Thank you so much, Jin.

 

_I really don’t know if she’s being sarcastic or not. Her tone of voice has not changed the entire time I was talking to her, even when she ripped her own finger off._

 

 **MINON:** [Smug; playing with hair] I guess it was sort of fun… fucking with you, though…

 

 **MINON:** [Pulling face] Eugh… that sounded wrong.

 

 **JIN:** Please don’t ever insituate anything like that again.

 

 **MINON:** Well, I am really messed up down th-

 

_I clamped my hands over my ears to block out whatever Minon might say to me. She just stared at me, laughing entirely monotone with a deadpan expression, as I felt a blush crawl up my neck and take a firm hold of my cheeks._

 

 **MINON:** Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Jin, you’re too funny.

 

 **MINON:** [Pressing finger to lips] That mess of gunk is saved for Raikichi, just so you know...

 

 **MINON:** I think if we had kids together we’d give birth to the antichrist… that would be exciting… wish he was here.

 

_Minon sighed wistfully. At least, I thought it was wistfully. She didn’t really put any heart into it, though- not that she did that for anything she did. Unless it was ripping out her own heart and putting it somewhere else. She’d probably done that before._

 

 **JIN:** Well, uh. I’ll leave you to your fantasies of demonic spawn. See you later, Minon.

 

 **MINON:** Mmnrm. Preferably not…

 

_The feeling is mutual._

 

_I crept back around the front of the cabin, only to see Isana standing at the front door, presumably keeping guard and stopping any of us from going back inside. Damn it! I really needed to get in there… the itching sensation of curiosity had really started nagging at me. I wanted to know what Kotohiko had written… what he’d thought was so important he had to mark it down in his personal journal. If only Minon hadn’t pulled her stupid bullshit on me, I could have made it past before Isana took up guard. Where was that luck she was supposedly meant to have granted me?_

 

_I sighed, deciding to approach her anyway. Maybe she’d still let me in.._

 

 **JIN:** Hey, Isana. Do you mind if I-

 

 **ISANA:** [Blowing whistle] _FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!_

 

_Fuck! I couldn’t help but jump backwards, almost slipping on the icy ground and ending up on my ass. I managed to correct my balance just in time, but it was still embarrassing._

 

 **JIN:** I forgot you still had that…

 

 **ISANA:** [Hand held out in a “halt” gesture] Sorry, Jinny! I totes can’t let anyone in here! Leader’s orders!

 

 **JIN:** I’m just trying to get something that I left inside.

 

 **ISANA:** Then you can get it when you go to sleep! And that’s only once we hit nighttime hours, gotcha?

 

 **ISANA:** [Waggling key] Me and Ruru found the key to the cabin, and it’s locked up tight ‘til it’s time for bed. Few exceptions!

 

 **JIN:** Don’t you mean “no exceptions”?

 

 **ISANA:** Well, other members of the Leadership Squad, can like, go in whenever they want to. So like, me, Ruru… and the newest member! Koikoi!

 

 **JIN:** Koichi’s a leader now?!

 

 **ISANA:** Huh… you sound more bummed about that then I thought you’d be! Aren’t the two of you like besty buddy buddies?

 

 **JIN:** Not exactly.

 

 **ISANA:** [Thinking; pressing finger to temple] Huh… weird. Koikoi told me the opposite.

 

_Of course he would._

 

 **ISANA:** Anyway, no- oh! Heya, Taitai!

 

_I turned around to see Taichi, nervously fidgeting with his jacket and biting his lip. He was shifting from side to side on his feet, and was flickering his gaze between me and Isana._

 

 **TAICHI:** [Scratching cheek; wincing] Uh… I know h-he’s not allowed in Isana, but… I, uh- Jin’s giving me English lessons today.

 

 **TAICHI:** Th-The book we’re studying from is in th-there. I assume that’s w-what he was talking about.

 

 **JIN:** Wait, I thought you were keeping it in your shed?

 

 **TAICHI:** [Self-righteous; huffing] S-See, I thought I would be allowed at least that l-level of h-human decency, but apparently Ruka wants t-to keep all of the books in the l-library… she yanked it straight out of my hands when I was closing up shop l-last night!

 

 **ISANA:** Hmmm… Jinny, it’s sounding like you didn’t know that Taichi didn’t have his book, and so-

 

 **JIN:** Dictionaries. I was trying to get some dictionaries as well. To help with the lessons.

 

_I didn’t like lying to Isana, but it would just be annoying to get her to move out of the way by telling her the truth. Trying to read a dead man’s journal is hardly the most pressing issue, but I really wanted to crack into it. To remember that a part of him was still here- so I didn’t start forgetting._

 

 **ISANA:** [Considering it] Hmm…

 

 **ISANA:** [Handing over key] Fiiiiine. You can unlock it and go get the dictionaries. Koikoi is in there too, so I guess you two can sort out your friend-drama or whatevs. Get back soon, Jinny.

 

_Well, that was almost too easy. Thank you, deus ex Taichi. What would I do without the endless annoyance and convenience of my classmates?_

 

_I quickly grabbed the key before she could change her mind, unlocking the door and scurrying inside. The smell of the neurotoxin was almost pungent in here, and I had to cover my face to stop myself from coughing from the sheer force of it. I hoped Koichi was working on covering up the vents- what other reason would he have to be in here? Maybe I should have asked Isana about that…_

 

_I staggered through the lobby and towards the stairs, almost collapsing as my lungs struggled to filter through the gas. Maybe I should stay close to the ground… that’s how you escape stuff like this, right? Doesn’t it rise? Maybe that’s only if it’s lighter than air… I had a hard time remembering._

 

_I leant heavily on the rail as I climbed the stairs, noticing the air was clearer the higher I got. So it was a denser gas, then… that explained why my lungs felt so heavy. I coughed a few time, heading over to my room- only to get stopped by a sobbing noise coming from the talent room behind me. I turned around, my brain struggling between my two curious impulses- to check out the notebook, or to check out the sound? I probably only had a short amount of time in here before the neurotoxin got to me or Isana barged in, and I really didn’t want to waste it._

 

_The sobbing came again, and I sighed, heading down the hallway opposite to where my room was. It had to be coming from Koichi… or maybe Sadamu? Both of them seemed to be locked up in here, but I couldn’t imagine Sadamu crying. He seemed far too stoic for that. Then again, he had thrown an apple out the window of his dorm. Maybe he had some deep things he was dealing with._

 

_I turned the corner into the talent room, scanning Sadamu and Koichi’s areas. Neither of them had set up shop there, so I expanded my wandering gaze to the rest of the room. Lo and behold, Koichi was slumped on a couch near to the door, holding a bottle of wine nabbed from Shizuya’s area. He looked absolutely pathetic, wine stains spilling down his shirt._

 

_Uh._

 

 **JIN:** Are you… okay?

 

_Obviously not, dumbass._

 

_Koichi dropped the bottle, seeming not to care as it shattered on the ground and sent glass shards and wine everywhere. He wiped hair away from his sweat-and-tear-slicked brow, squinting up at me. It was evident that he hadn’t drank that much- there was only one bottle missing from the rack, and from the looks of things it had been pretty full before he dropped it. The effect was probably just heightened by the neurotoxin, which was currently screaming at my brain to get me the fuck away from Koichi._

 

 **KOICHI:** [Blinking with teary eyes] Wh…? Jin…?

 

 **JIN:** Uh. Yup. Hey-o. It’s me. Jiiinnnn. Uh. What are you. I mean. I… I thought you hated drinking?

 

_Stupendous conversational skills._

 

 **KOICHI:** Mmm.. Yeah… Writt’n in my profile ‘n junk…

 

_I have absolutely no idea what the fuck he’s talking about._

 

 **JIN:** So then… whhhhhhyyyyyyyyy? Are you?? Doing this???

 

 **KOICHI:** [Blubbering; grabbing onto my cape] I’m just so… so _alooooooooooooone!_

 

_Koichi started wailing, wiping his face in my cape. I grimaced, gently pushing his head away from me, even if his hands stayed tangled in my cape. Great, now it had snot on it._

 

 **JIN:** There are approximately thirteen other people here who might want to be friends with you. I don’t think I’d consider that “alone”.

 

 **KOICHI:** You know what I mean! I try to be your friend and- and you just- leave me without even explaining!

 

 **KOICHI:** [Pulling me close] Wh… what do you want to change about me, Jin? Believe me, I can be whoever you want.

 

 **JIN:** Can you be two hundred miles away from me?

 

_I didn’t mean to say that out loud- did I? Fuck, the neurotoxin. It’s… it’s making me honest. This is the worst thing that could have ever happened, besides meeting Koichi._

 

_Wait, that was rude._

 

_Who gives a shit?_

_  
_   
I should.

 

_But I don’t!_

 

_ Koichi paused at that, seeming to consider my words, and I watched as his eyes quickly narrowed. Far too quickly- he’d gone from completely drunk and helpless to furious in a flat second. His fingers curled tight around the edge of my cape, tugging on it hard. I heard something rip. _

 

**KOICHI:** [Yanking on cape; furious] Can’t you at least act a  _ little  _ grateful? I’ve put everything on the line for you. I saved your  _ life,  _ Jin.

 

**JIN:** Y-Yeah, and I didn’t ask for that!

 

_ I shuddered at the way Koichi smirked when I said that, and I pulled my cape free, heart thudding in my chest. Koichi scrambled off the couch, grabbing onto my shoulders tight and refusing to let go. I struggled weakly against him, but my frail body didn’t stand a chance against his years of trekking and canoeing and doing god knows what out in the woods. _

 

_ A small part of me was away of how comical this situation was- how quickly it had escalated, how ridiculous it was to fight with him like we were in some fucking soap opera, how uncharacteristic it was for me to act so stupid- but that was drowned out by the overwhelming feeling of raw emotion. It trembled through me, wracking my nerves and blinding my vision to a single pinpoint. _

 

**KOICHI:** You really can’t decide what you want, can you? You latch onto the first person you see, and-

 

**JIN:** Oh, that’s fucking rich coming from  _ you-  _

 

**KOICHI:** A criminal, might I add! Jin, he was a professional  _ stalker.  _ He was such a fucking creep- I could feel that he was just itching to find some secret about us and rip us to shreds! And you fell for his act!

 

**JIN:** Don’t bring Kotohiko into this. He’s a reporter, it’s what he-

 

**KOICHI:** [Throwing hands up; exasperated] A  _ tabloid  _ author! And yet, here I am- a friend to all creatures or whatever the fuck, and you act like I’m some sort of supervillain just because I want to hang out with you!

 

**JIN:** Maybe I just wanted some space, you know! I’d just watched someone die, and then you come waltzing in, stopping me from  _ maybe  _ getting some peace of mind because you couldn’t leave the cabin alone!

 

**KOICHI:** Jin, you would have killed yourself!

 

_ I could feel my voice breaking as I yelled back at Koichi, finally letting my thoughts fly unguarded. _

 

**JIN:** And I  _ wanted  _ that! You wouldn’t even let me go out the one way I  _ wanted  _ to! Do you think it’s fun to live with this- with knowing that I killed someone who trusted me?!

 

**KOICHI:** He killed someone first! He tried to kill  _ all  _ of us because he couldn’t fess up to what he did. 

 

**JIN:** It was an accident. It was all an accident, and now you’re acting like he  _ deserved  _ to die- to die like  _ that!  _ How does anyone deserve that?!

 

**KOICHI:** I know you  _ didn’t,  _ okay! I didn’t want my one friend I made in this mess to kill himself just because he’d trusted the wrong people! 

 

**JIN:** You manipulated me into your  _ stupid  _ blood pact and-

 

**KOICHI:** I shared an  _ important  _ tradition with you because I knew the only thing that would stop you from killing yourself is if you had something to hold onto. Hell, if I couldn’t be a  _ person  _ you could trust, maybe you’d trust my promise.

 

**JIN:** But- You-

 

**KOICHI:** [Sympathetic; placing hand on shoulder] Don’t worry, Jin. It’s natural that you’d feel paranoid after what happened. I won’t hold it against you, I really won’t.

 

_ I didn’t notice that I had started breathing so quickly. I ran my hands through my hair, and Koichi’s gaze grew softer. He brushed away my hands, taking one in his- palm against palm, scar against scar. _

 

**JIN:** No…

 

**KOICHI:** The two of us are buddies, you know? Hell, if all it takes is pretending to get drunk to get you to talk to me, I probably should have tried that sooner… all I want to do is reach out to you, Jin. 

 

**KOICHI:** When you can’t take control of your own life, somebody’s gotta do it for you! 

 

**JIN:** I can…

 

_ I shakily let Koichi lead me back down to the couch, only half-listening to the soothing noises he was making under his breath as he held me against him. Had I really been wrong all this time? Sure, Koichi was annoying… but had I just projected that onto him because I was paranoid about getting too close to someone again? _

 

_ Kotohiko…  _

 

_ I’d only known him for a few days. But we’d clicked. Like two puzzle pieces that were meant to be together. But afterwards… it was like I’d cut off all my edges. Like I never wanted to be put in that position again, not when someone could fall out of my fingers like quicksilver. But here Koichi was… trying to fix me up. And I’d just brushed him off like nothing. _

 

_ Could I really be trusted to listen to my own judgement? _

 

_ Was I really that broken? _

 

**KOICHI:** [Leaning against me] There you go, Jin. Things are going to be just alright.

 

**KOICHI:** I’ll take you back to our room, and then we can be buddies again. Just like old times, huh? You can go to sleep, and I’ll work on making sure you take care of yourself. That’s what friends are for, aren’t they?

 

**KOICHI:** Stay here. I’ll go get you some water.

 

_ I sat there numbly, trying not to throw up again. I replayed the last week’s events again in my mind… where had Koichi been openly malicious? I’d just been rude to him. I’d punched him first, after all… and I was too stupid to realise he had a crush on me. But that had probably been a spur-of-the-moment thing (had my attraction to Kotohiko been fake too?) and now he was just trying to be my friend. I’d just been brushing him away because I felt like he kept trying to hit on me… but really I was just avoiding getting help… that didn’t feel right, but it was probably true. How was I meant to trust my own judgement? _

 

_ I felt the cool rim of a glass against my lips, freezing water flowing down into my mouth. I didn’t want to swallow- it was like my throat wasn’t working, even though it felt incredibly dry and I knew the water would help. Koichi sighed, brushing some hair out of my face and looking at me with soft eyes. _

 

**KOICHI:** Poor thing… you’re in shock. I might need to help you out a little bit more than I thought I’d have to… just swallow that, and I’ll get you somewhere safe, okay?

 

**KOICHI:** [Holding up hand] Because I’m your buddy, Jin. 

 

_ Salt. _

 

_ Something tasted salty. _

 

_ … _

 

_ “You might come under target as a Kirigiri Detective, Jin. People don’t like us because we’re the best in the business, you understand? You must always be wary of strangers- and especially strange drinks. Thankfully, I’m here to help you understand how to detect these things.” _

 

_ … _

 

**_Gamma-hydroxybutyrate._ **

 

_ I spat out the water, scrambling up and pushing against Koichi, my head whirling as I wretched and tried to get out the door as quickly as I could. Koichi yelped as he landed on his back, brushing his hair out of his eyes to watch my less-than-elegant escape. He’d just tried to drug me. What the fuck.  _

 

**JIN:** What the fuck?!

 

_ My voice was high pitched and tinny, and Koichi stood up at the sound of it, reaching out to grab my hand. I batted it away, and he held up both of his hands in what he probably thought was a pacifying gesture. _

 

**KOICHI:** I just wanted you to go to sleep! So I could get you somewhere nice and warm! 

 

**JIN:** You- That-

 

**KOICHI:** I found it in your chemical collection, Jin. It’s really nothing to freak out about-

 

**JIN:** _ You gave me GHB!  _

 

**KOICHI:** I thought it was just a sleeping pill! 

 

_ I gazed at him in astonished disbelief, before swinging round the corner and running as fast as I could into my room. My heart pounded in my ears, and my boots squeaked against the polished floorboards, nearly slipping on them. Oh god, Koichi was running up behind me. What was he trying to do to me? I reached into my pocket, grabbing something thin and metallic, and quickly chucked it behind me, hoping it would dissuade him. _

 

**JIN:** Leave me the fuck alone! 

 

_ I finally reached my room, thundering inside and slamming the door behind me, before twisting the lock shut. It was soundproofed inside, eerily quiet, and I just stood there, breathless- and then screamed. I grabbed my hair and stopped my feet, screaming and screaming and screaming like a toddler having a temper tantrum, before collapsing on the floor in exhaustion. Eventually, my thoughts became more coherent.  _

 

_I didn’t think Koichi would do anything serious when I was passed out- but then again, I didn’t think he would drug me either. What the fuck was going on… had Monokuma told him to do that? He had to have… probably told Koichi I was coming into the cabin too so he could set up his little “fake drunk” gag. I felt sick._

 

_Still trembling, I managed to crawl to my bed, and haul myself up. Kotohiko’s diary stared at me from the side table. Funny, I didn’t really remember putting it there… but then again, I wasn’t really in the best state of mind right now either. Steadying my nerves the best I could, I picked up the book, running my fingers over the leather cover until I could feel my heart calm down._

 

_I don’t know how long I stayed there, curled up and just rubbing the book, but eventually I had the presence of mind to flip it open. And the secret behind Kotohiko’s book was…_

 

_…_

  


 

_Meaningless scribbles._

 

_Every page in the book, front to back, had been filled out- but in a way that made no sense to me. Honestly, I’m not sure what I expected- for the meaning of the universe to be opened up to me? This was obviously some shorthand he used that I had no idea how to decipher. Great. I sighed, placing the journal next to me, and kicking off my shoes. I might as well get an early night’s rest. After what had just happened with Koichi, I definitely didn’t have an appetite… I just felt exhausted._

 

* * *

 

 

 **MONOKUMA THEATRE** **  
  
**

* * *

 

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Well, I figured instead of my usual parables this time, I’m just here to give you kiddies a good little PSA!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Never accept drinks from strangers- or creepy boy scouts that do nothing but gaslight you. That’s not safe, yo!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Though, in this particular story, I can assure you that Koichi was telling the truth about his intentions. He did just think it was a sleep concoction.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Now, normally, I’d let you sissies imagine all the creeeeepy things that someone could do and the lies they could have told- but this is a serious issue that honestly? Even I don’t feel good making fun of.

 

 **MONOKUMA:** The author of _Dangan Ronpa: Rewound Despair_ would also like to remind you that this story, while it contains sexual references, would never depict anything R-18… besides all the bloods, guts, and murder sprees!

 

 **MONOKUMA:** Violence is always more moral than sex… or at least that’s what parents are saying these days. You probably shouldn’t listen to them.

  
**MONOKUMA:** Ooooooor, maybe you should! What do I know, I’m just a bear! Get-a-murdering, you funky little virgins! Wahoo!


	12. CHAPTER TWO: "Frozen Teardrops Scattered on an Angel's Wasteland" [PART FOUR]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we've reached a very special part in Chapter Two. I bet you can guess where this is going... *hint* perhaps a body drop? We'll see (but seriously, not killing someone now would make this chapter drag on FOREVER. Time management is very important when plotting this stuff out). Anyway, hope you enjoy, and be mindful that DRRD depicts very detailed gore, due to my own writing style! If you feel like you need to skip any portion of the body drop for your own mental health, please do so. Other people bring up what happens in a far less gruesome way in dialogue throughout the investigation. The trigger list will be updated to include this chapter soon, so if you're EXTRA wary, wait out for that.

_ I woke up with a thudding in my head and a shortness in my breath. It was like my lungs were trying to adjust to something- probably all the gas I’d breathed in overnight. I groaned, sitting up and stretching, before padding over to my bathroom. I cupped my hands under the sink, letting them fill up with water before lifting them up to my face and trying not to spill any water on my cape while I was drinking. My headache slightly subsided with the hydration, but I still pretty much felt like shit. _

 

_ Oh well. I guess there was nothing I could really do about that. I should probably head out early- or whatever time it was now- and try and see if I could avoid Koichi. Hopefully he’d be busy with Isana and Ruka fussing over what activities they’d do to pass the time. That was kind of a double-edged sword, though, because it meant I had to offer even a modicum of my self-control over to Koichi. Ugh.  _

 

_ I knew I had a bad feeling about him. I should have listened to my instincts, instead of just trying to be polite. Or at least I should have gotten the hell out of the Talent Room before things could get that bad. Maybe some of the things he said were true, but I sure as hell didn’t want to tackle them. And whatever offer of help he’d proposed me had been washed away by that drugged glass of water. _

 

_ I grabbed my shoes, wrestling them back onto my feet without bothering to re-do the laces, and headed outside into the hallway. I could hear quiet conversation from downstairs, but a look out the window proved that it was still early morning. Nothing later than eight, hopefully. Koichi woke at the ass crack of dawn, so he’d probably still be out patrolling of whatever it is he did.  _

 

_ I really needed to stop thinking about him. But after last night, how could I? _

 

_ At least I can distract myself with a good breakfast. Only having one meal a day really wasn’t doing myself any favours- probably partially where the headache had come from. The other parts were probably from the screaming fit I’d had last night. Not really too proud of that, but at least I hadn’t broken my window or my bones. Like Sadamu had.  _

 

_ Speaking off… I wonder what he’s doing right now. A whole day’s exposure to the neurotoxin can’t have been good for him, or his roommate. Maiku was probably exhausted from dealing with that whole mess. Glad I wasn’t in his shoes, even if any roommate would be better than what I’d ended up with this whole stupid game. _

 

_ I scurried down the steps and into the kitchen, waving quickly to the early-morning patrons: Maiku, who indeed did look as exhausted as I’d predicted, Shizuya, Hana, Renma, and Isana. There was already food laid out on the table, along with plates and silverware, so I quietly grabbed my stuff and sat down a few seats away from everyone else to tuck in. _

 

**MAIKU:** [Yawning loudly] Mnm… Miss Hana, do you have any more tea?

 

**HANA:** [Checking kettle] ‘Fraid that’s the last of the pot, sweetheart. If you want I could get you somethin’ stronger. 

 

**MAIKU:** No, tea is fine. I don’t drink coffee… it’s far too bitter for my sensitive palette. 

 

**ISANA:** [Rubbing eyes] You could like, save some for me too, y’know. 

 

**MAIKU:** You said you wanted the whole kettle so you could “pour the entire sugar cup in it and see what would happen”.

 

**ISANA:** See what would happen to  _ me.  _ It’s like, a science experiment.

 

**ISANA:** You’re not the only person who was up all night, Maimai! Mama needs her caffeine! 

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Blank stare] Don’t ever call yourself “mama” again. 

 

_ Hana chuckled, grabbing the kettle and scurrying back into the kitchen. Maiku slumped over, prodding at his food with his fork and groaning, and Isana patted him on the back. Shizuya scoffed, but even she looked tired. I wondered what was going on that had kept all of them up for so long. _

 

**JIN:** Okay, I get Maiku being tired, but what happened to the rest of you?

 

**RENMA:** [Slamming hand into table] Ha! They’re simply too weak to handle the stress of the night! Why, I was up late doing my rituals, and my dark mistress hardly minded!

 

**SHIZUYA:** Sure, that explains why she looks like she’s about to drop dead from exhaustion.

 

**ISANA:** [Resting chin on fists] It’s just like, roommate troubles mostly. Maiku’s got a living storm for one, I’ve been patrolling all night like Ruru, and Shizuya had to deal with… uh. What was it?

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Disgusted; covering mouth with hand] Minon’s arm fell off.

 

**ISANA:** Oh yeah. That. 

 

**ISANA:** [Shocked; gasping] Wait, what?!

 

**SHIZUYA:** She put it back on. I’m half convinced it was just a gimmick to “prove” that she had luck powers- or she has a prosthetic. Either way, I couldn’t get to sleep after witnessing that.

 

**RENMA:** That’s nothing compared to what I’ve seen.

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] Not everyone  _ kills  _ people, Renma.

 

**RENMA:** Ritual sacrifice.

 

**SHIZUYA:** There’s still a body by the end of it. 

 

**ISANA:** [Vaguely queasy] Woah, woah, can we like… not talk about murder when I’m trying to eat? 

 

**RENMA:** [Enraged; hands curled into claws] It’s  _ not  _ murder!

 

**ISANA:** [Petrified; fingers gripping cheeks] Eep!

 

_ Before the conversation could continue, Hana hurried back in, and Renma immediately went docile. A goofy grin blossomed on her face, and she started giggling under her breath. She really was in love, huh? It was kind of adorable… even if seeing a six and a half foot tall girl made of sticks start melting into a mushy puddle of puppy love was a little jarring to see. _

 

**HANA:** [Placing down kettle] Here’s the tea. 

 

_ Maiku immediately grabbed the kettle, placing his lips directly on the spout and tilting it, and then screaming when he was splashed by hot tea. Hana sighed, taking the kettle from him and grabbing a nearby tablecloth to wipe him off. _

 

**HANA:** A little bit slower, honey. 

 

_ While Hana was distracted, Isana snatched the kettle and proceeded to dump the whole cup of sugar in it. Before pouring herself her own glass, thick clumps of sugar coming with it. This entire breakfast looked like an unfortunate mess Hana had to help out with… but Renma seemed too infatuated to help her, and I’m not sure Shizuya wanted to. I sighed, standing up myself and heading back into the kitchen to brew another kettle of tea. It wouldn’t be as good as whatever Hana had cooked up, but I’m sure I could manage something simple.  _

 

_ I set a nearby kettle on the stove to boil, before searching the pantry for something other than the expensive-looking tea leaves Hana had set aside on the counter. A box of teabags- green tea, it looked like- had been shoved off into the corner, so I grabbed that. I’d just get the hot water and give everyone individual tea bags, and Maiku could put twenty in for all I cared. It would stop him from trying to drink straight from the source, at least.  _

 

_ Once the water had finished boiling, I balanced the box of teabags on top of it, and took it into the dining room, before unceremoniously plonking it down on the table. Hana looked up at me in gratitude, and I chucked the teabags in front of Maiku. _

 

**JIN:** Use these in your  _ cup.  _ It’s probably not hygienic  _ or  _ safe to drink straight from the teapot.

 

**MAIKU:** [Wincing; touching burnt mouth] Yes, I learnt that the hard way… 

 

**ISANA:** [Making grabby hands] Ooh, ooh! Gimmie some of those, Maimai! 

 

_ Maiku held up the box of teabags in what he probably thought was “out of reach”, but really just made them easier to grab. _

 

**MAIKU:** No! You ruined your pot, now I’m going to have mine!

 

**SHIZUYA:** I’m surprised both of your insides haven’t boiled away. Haven’t you ever heard of ‘excess’?

 

**ISANA:** Wassat?

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] I really don’t know how I deal with you people.

 

_ Shizuya doesn’t need to know that Isana has memorised dictionaries. I’ll let her think that she’s smart for this morning. _

 

_ I went back to eating my food, noticing that my headache had slowly faded away, and I was breathing a little steadier- which was good. That meant Monokuma had probably turned down the dosage. I wondered if anyone else had noticed that. Maybe he was trying to give us a break. Or maybe… _

 

_ No, Isana and Ruka had been patrolling all night long. Nothing bad could have happened. Monokuma had just realised that he was poisoning us with that high a dosage. That, or Koichi’s little stunt last night had made him realise that this motive was a shitty idea. I could dream. _

 

_ As I ate, I could see more and more people file in to go and get their food. Even when I was full, I decided to just sit there at the table and listen in. I had nothing better to do anyway… and I wasn’t likely to get hurt in a group. Sadamu’s display had proved that. _

 

_ First came Minon, who wiggled her fingers at Shizuya and grinned, making the latter turn green. Presumably, those fingers belonged to the arm that fell off- but I could also tell that they were the ones she’d thrown away yesterday. Minon was… weird, to say the least. If she could survive dismemberment, what was stopping her from being stabbed three hundred times and living through that? If her luck allowed her to be stabbed in the first place, anyway. _

 

_ Next came Hiroko and Hitomiko, the former greeting us with an enthusiastic: _

 

**HIROKO:** What’s up, sluts?!

 

_ Which I’m not sure anyone appreciated. Hitomiko did cheer at it, though, and then slapped Hiroko on the back. I hadn’t pegged the two of them to be such strong friends, but I didn’t really know much about friendship in the first place. Then came Taichi, who had his face buried in a “How to Read English” book. Whoops. I probably should have told him that I was planning on ditching our lesson- but how could I, when I had Koichi on my tail? _

 

**ISANA:** [Waving] Hey, Chichi! 

 

**TAICHI:** [Nose shoved in book] Mnm?

 

**ISANA:** Hope ya enjoyed our lesson last night! Sorry I had to cut it short and like, all that junk-a-roony.

 

**TAICHI:** Y-You’re a horrible teacher. I can deal with that.

 

**ISANA:** [Deflating] Ah… yay?

 

_ Shit, I should probably apologise. But is it awkward to bring it up in front of everyone? It probably is. God, I’m bad at this. I poked at the crumbs on my plate, watching as they skidded around with every ‘clink clink’ of the metal against porcelain.  _

 

_ Taichi took his place at the end of the table, not bothering to touch the food and instead just squinting at the book. Isana looked like she was trying to decide between eating another croissant or going to talk to him, until Shizuya shoved her hard in the back towards him. She ran over to place a hand on his shoulder, and opened her mouth, before- _

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Stamping foot on ground; pained smile]  _ Good morning,  _ everyone! It’s great to see all of you here, haha!

 

_ Oh, great. As if this morning couldn’t get any more awkward. Isana frowned at Takaaki, moving away from Taichi as the latter finger-gunned at his fellow “agent”. I don’t know how Taichi stood him- especially when he was acting so weird like this. His smile was stretched nearly to his ears, and the look in his eyes practically screamed for death. Mine or his, it didn’t really look like it mattered much to him.  _

 

**MINON:** [Slumping over table; groaning] Ughh… can someone just kill him already?

 

**TAKAAKI:** What would be the fun in that? 

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Seething; eyes narrowed] More fun in listening to whatever pointless announcement you want to make.

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Eye twitching] Huh. Maybe we can make this a little more exciting, hm?

 

_ In a flash, Takaaki pulled out a gun and shot at the ceiling. Screams filled the room, and I cupped my hands over my ears to try and stop the ringing that had filled them. Takaaki chuckled, before shoving the gun back in his pocket.  _

 

**TAKAAKI:** Great! Everyone listening now?

 

**HANA:** [Terrified nodding] Y-yup. We’re all listenin’. 

 

_ The rest of us followed suit and quietly mumbled our agreement. Takaaki hummed in content, before stepping outside the room and grabbing someone’s arm. He tugged them into the space, where they stood, glaring at the rest of us. They were almost unrecognisable, but that stature and build were unmistakable. _

 

_ Sadamu stood in the archway, hair matted and curled into knots. The flowers that had once decorated his hair hung off in rotted and wilted clumps of petals, and his beekeeper outfit had been tied around his waist, leaving his chest bare save for a simple tank top. His knuckles were bruised and bloody, and dark circles framed the bottom of his eyes. I could see some glass shards sticking out of one of his arms. _

 

**JIN:** What the hell…?

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Thumping Sadamu on the chest] This here is the real deal, everyone! Sadamu Yasuhiro, in his finest glory. Gaze upon his  _ majesty,  _ ha! 

 

**SADAMU:** [Deadpan] ...Get away from me.

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Wagging finger] Now now, Sadamu! You promised to play nice for everyone else here and come out of your room, or it’s a bullet in the brain for you. 

 

**SADAMU:** You said my arm.

 

**TAKAAKI:** Well, stakes raise! So, come on, join them at breakfast. I’m sure everyone is going to  _ love  _ this side of you. 

 

_ Takaaki swung his attention away from Sadamu, but not before plucking a large shard of glass out of his arm and pointing it at the rest of us. It was getting blood stains all over his fingertips, but that looked to be the last thing on Takaaki’s manic mind.  _

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Chuckling darkly] Isn’t that right, Maiku?

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on sleeves] P-Please, don’t bring me into this.

 

**HIROKO:** [Bored; resting chin on hand] Is this meant to intimidate us, bitchboy? I’ve seen way worse.

 

**HIROKO:** And ain’t Sadamu’s little makeover just a result of Monokuma’s fuckin’ chemical timebomb?

 

**TAKAAKI:** Ah, if only if it was just that, Hiroko. No, no. This is the truth- Sadamu  _ without  _ the bullshit. 

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Cheeky; tongue out] Yeah, nah! Why the heck would we listen to you, Takaaki?

 

**TAKAAKI:** Well, that’s your funeral.

 

**JIN:** Takaaki, you tried to kill me a couple nights ago. Sadamu’s just… a little stressed, it looks like. I don’t really think those two are comparable. 

 

**TAKAAKI:** [Leaning forwards; sadistic smile] Fine then. Get close to him, Kirigiri. Don’t come crying when he rips somebody’s head off and you’re left with the fallout. If you’re lucky, it might just be yours.

 

_ Low blow, asshole. _

 

**SADAMU:** That’s enough, Takaaki. The deal was that I would come here… not that you would… debase me, in front of everyone else.

 

**SADAMU:** [Turning to leave] I’ll be returning to my room.  _ Au revoir.  _

 

_ Takaaki moved to block Sadamu’s path, stretching his arms out to cover the length of the archway. He scowled, and Sadamu regarded him with an entirely bored eye. What was Takaaki trying to prove, exactly? Did he expect Sadamu to just attack someone out of nowhere just because he’d done the same? That was ridiculous- the last time Sadamu had hurt anyone was because Takaaki was hurting me, and- _

 

_ I didn’t get to finish my thought before a loud crack split through my mind, and I watched as Takaaki slumped limp against the side of the archway. Sadamu had his large hand curled around the side of Takaaki’s head, which was now leaking dark red blood. Sadamu tossed Takaaki aside like a rag doll, before storming outside.  _

 

_ A beat. _

 

_ And then everyone sprung to life. Isana rushed over to Takaaki, taking his pulse and panickedly assuring everyone that he was still alive in the least assuring way possible. Hiroko vaulted the table to rush after Takaaki, and Renma had to catch Hana fainting once again. Minon and Shizuya exchanged a look, both seeming to be the most shocked they’d been in several days. And what did I do? _

 

_ I took one look at Takaaki, and a bitter feeling flooded me. I wanted to run over and finish the job- stomp his skull into the floorboards. It took me two steps towards him before I realised just what I was about to do- and then I jolted back, scared off my own instincts, and ran off just like Sadamu had. Like a coward- like a killer. _

 

_ What was wrong with me?  _

 

_ I know the gas was here, but that didn’t… _

 

_ It didn’t even smell like the gas. _

 

_ Wait. _

 

_ The gas wasn’t… _

 

 **SADAMU:** [Struggling with the front door] Who locked… _Ouvert, putain._

 

**HIROKO:** [Rushing towards Sadamu] Oh no you don’t, asshole! Get the fuck back here!

 

_ Sadamu looked over his shoulder and groaned, before gripping the doorknob tight and pulling with all his might. The door shuddered under the force, and it only took a second before I heard the strange metallic crunch of the lock snapping, and the door flew open- and straight off its hinges, clattering to the floor just beside Sadamu. _

 

_ … _

 

_ -DING DONG BING BONG- _

  
  


**MONOKUMA (Voice):** _ A body has been discovered! _

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** _ After a certain amount of investigation time, which you may use however you please, a class trial will begin! Upupupu! _

 

_ Sadamu stumbled back from the door, an expression of visceral horror etched deep into his face. Hiroko mouthed the words “what the fuck”, eyes frozen and trained on the sight before her. I could hardly breathe, frozen with shock even as the rest of the class slowly filtered in, Isana still carrying Takaaki’s crumpled form in her arms. _

 

_ There, lying half-buried in the snow, was the body of Koichi Kizakura.  _

 

_ His left leg was the most noticeable part about him. A deep red stain surrounded it, pooling up to his hips and making the snow surrounding him appear like some sort of macabre strawberry slushie. The leg itself was nearly cut off at the foot, the ankle mauled beyond recognition, white bone visible between the mangled tendons and muscle. A steel bear trap had clamped around it, teeth digging deep into flesh. It looked an inch away from severing his foot off entirely.  _

 

_ The foot was bent at an odd angle, his grey boots stained the same colour as the snow around him. The rest of his body was in considerably better shape- which probably wasn’t saying much. Koichi’s face had frozen over, small flecks of frost coating his lips and cheeks, only now beginning to melt in the morning light. His skin had taken on a pale, almost blue pallor, and the tips of his fingers were black and shrivelled, and his knuckles had worn down to the bone. Long splinters pierced through his palms and several of his fingers. _

 

_ Koichi’s hat, sash, and ascot- as well as one of the cabin’s coats- were lying discarded by him, all streaked with blood. One of arms was bent so his hand rested on his chest, fingers gripped in rigor mortis across the front of his shirt, which had also caused some stainage. _

 

**HANA:** [Pushing through crowd] Is everyone alright? I can’t see what’s goin’ on-

 

**RENMA:** [Praying silently] ...May he find peace in the depths of Hell.

 

**HANA:** Oh god… did someone-

 

**MINON:** [Bored; rolling eyes] Duh… the announcement went off… 

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Disgusted; hand covering mouth] I think I’m going to be sick.

 

_ … _

 

_ I couldn’t react. Everyone else started talking amongst themselves about what had happened, explaining who’d been killed- but I couldn’t move. I was just trapped in my emotions… My emotions of… _

 

_ Relief. _

 

_ Crushing, overwhelming relief. Relief like nothing I’d ever felt before. It was over. I wouldn’t have to worry about-  _

 

_ What the fuck was I thinking? Someone had died! I shook my head, snapping out of my strange stupor, and filing away those thoughts to the “deal with later” part of my brain. I took a deep breath, before cracking my knuckles. It was like any reaction I should have had to the body had vacated the body with my relief- now it was just time for me to think, not to feel. Work mode, Kirigiri. Let’s try to figure this one out a little bit smoother than last time.  _

 

**JIN:** Everyone, get out of the way. I don’t want anyone touching any evidence. That would-

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** Upupu! Look who’s finally getting used to the killings! What a prodigy, everyone! Take this guy as an example of how things  _ should  _ be running around here…

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** As much as I  _ do  _ love the random acts of violence.

 

_ Monokuma pushed past the crowds of people, walking straight up to Koichi’s body and kicking it with his stubby little foot. _

 

**MONOKUMA:** Shizuya looked like she was having so much fun doing this last time… and she was right! This is great!

 

**JIN:** Aren’t you meant to  _ not  _ meddle with the murders?

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; looking at the floor] Ah, Jin… ever the killjoy. 

 

**MONOKUMA:** You better at least keep the trial interesting this time, young man… the last one was a total snoozefest, and it’s not like I get cable in space.

 

**JIN:** I’ll try my  _ absolute  _ hardest. Now fuck off.

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Shaking head] Sadly, ole Mista Monokuma’s got something he has to deal with right now. Yadda yadda, you all know the drill. Your Monopads have my super special little file. 

 

**MONOKUMA:** Buuuuut, I also have to grab the absentee and take him over to rehab.

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Confused; cocking head] The who-what’s-it?

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Pointing at Takaaki] The absentee! If you remember my rules… no one must miss the Class Trial, unless they’re  _ seriously  _ injured. Bleeding of the brain and skull fractures are pretty much as “seriously injured” as it gets!

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Dejected; looking at floor] The nanobots are good, but not this good. I’m gonna need to get him into the hospital wing back at my home base and get a little bit more… intensive with his treatment.

 

**ISANA:** Like hell I’m gonna like, give him to  _ you! _

 

**MONOKUMA:** [Threatening; claws unsheathed] Do you  _ want  _ a double murder?

 

_ Isana gulped and shook her head, and quite suddenly Takaaki began to levitate out of her hands. Presumably, the nanobots were picking up up into the air. Monokuma lead them out through the door, hopping over Koichi’s body and disappearing into the woods, Takaaki trailing after him like a bloodied ghost. _

 

**INVESTIGATION - START!**

 

_ Once the two of them were completely out of sight, it was like the stupor of death had lifted from all of us, and we collectively sprung into action. Students searched through their pockets for their Monopads, while Isana knelt down to examine the bear trap lodged in Koichi’s leg, a deeply guilty expression blossoming across her face. I half expected someone to tug me around and tell me what to investigate first, but there was no one. Absolutely nobody was paying attention to me. _

 

_...I’m not really sure how I felt about that. _

 

_ I guess Isana was a start. My Monopad was still in my old room with the rest of my belongings, and I really didn’t want to go in there right now. And Isana was seriously starting to look like she was about to burst into tears, so my empathy wouldn’t allow me to fuck off anyway. I just hoped that sympathetic nagging at the back of my brain lead me to some good clues. _

 

**JIN:** Hey… you okay over there?

 

**ISANA:** [Choking back tears] Does it  _ look  _ like I’m okay?

 

**JIN:** Uhh…

 

**ISANA:** This is all my- my  _ fault _ , Jin! 

 

_ Isana gestured over to the beartrap lodged in Koichi’s leg. On closer look, it seemed like there was a small dial near the spring- that was set to which animal you planned to catch, and the level of damage you wanted to do to it. Interestingly enough, it had been turned up to the full bear-catching setting, rather than one of the milder ones. There was no way Koichi could have stood a chance against it.  _

 

**JIN;** I thought that these were meant to be set to the lower levels…

 

**ISANA:** [Wiping away tears] They were… but I, I didn’t- there were so many I had to set, and it was getting late, and Ruka wanted me to guard the cabin, and I-

 

**JIN:** Isana-

 

**ISANA:** I forgot to! I was in such a rush that I just put them where they were supposed to be, and I was- I was being so stupid. I killed him, Jin. 

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Bear Trap_ **

 

**JIN:** You did your job, Isana. You couldn’t have known that someone was going to go out here- especially when there were patrols. 

 

**JIN:** Besides, I doubt the bear trap was actually what killed him… the blood loss could have, sure, but there’s evidence of hypothermia on his face and extremities. The cold might have gotten to him before the trap did. 

 

**JIN:** Especially since he seemed strong enough to drag himself all the way over here… 

 

**ISANA:** [Terrified; trembling] But… if the trap really  _ did  _ kill him… you know what that means, right?

 

**ISANA:** Jin… I’d be the  **_killer._ **

 

_ I sucked in a quick breath, looking from Isana to the body. She was right. Sure, she might not have directly killed Koichi, but if he bled out due to something that she’d set up… it was manslaughter. Unconventional manslaughter, but still manslaughter. And Monokuma didn’t exactly distinguish between that and murder. I really needed to get my hands on a Monopad and check the cause of death. It was impossible to tell if he’d bled out or frozen to death just by looking at the body. _

 

_ Both of them would have resulted in Koichi passing out at some point, slipping into a sort of sleep-like state as soon as his organs started shutting down. Sure, he had frostbite, but that doesn’t mean that’s what eventually did him in. I could be speaking to the killer right now- a killer that probably deserved to get out of this whole mess more than half of us did. Someone with a real future, thrown away because of a stupid mistake. _

 

**JIN:** No- It’s hypothermia. I’m absolutely sure about it. You don’t have to worry, Isana. If he died from natural causes, nobody would be the killer. Monokuma is probably just doing this trial as a formality. You… don’t have to stay around the body if it’s worrying you, though.

 

_ White lies might be my best bet here.  _

 

**ISANA:** I- Okay. Yeah, you’re… you’re probably right. I’ll, uh… I’ll go investigate somewhere else! You know more about dead bodies than I do, so- I guess I can trust you. 

 

**ISANA:** [Hand held out in “halt” gesture] Just don’t get into any trouble out here, Jin!

 

**JIN:** Of course I won’t. I’m a professional.

 

_ Isana stood up and ambled away, leaving me alone with the body. A few more people were milling around, most of them checking their Monopads and trying to figure out what the hell had happened. None of them seemed willing to come that close to the body, though. Maybe people were finally deciding to leave me alone while I investigated. Good. _

 

_ It was a shame I couldn’t do a formal autopsy. I had some of my tools upstairs in the talent room, but nothing that could really help me distinguish between fatal hypothermia and exsanguination. Articulating a few joints on Koichi’s hand revealed that they were quite stiff and immovable, either through rigor mortis or due to the subzero temperatures he had been exposed to overnight. _

 

_ Wait. _

 

_ Overnight? _ __  
  


_ That sure was an assumption. There was nothing stopping Koichi from waking up in the morning and deciding to go out for a walk, ending up with a splintered leg for his troubles. If that was the case, exsanguination was the more probable cause of death. Mild frostbite could have onset, but it wouldn’t have killed him as quickly as bleeding out would unless he had been exposed to some seriously extreme temperatures. Ugh, without knowing the time of death or the cause I really was pretty useless here.  _

 

_ I guess I should just address what I could answer… more specifically, the hands. Koichi’s hands were practically covered in splinters, and his knuckles weren’t in very good shape either. If the door hadn’t been ripped off its hinges, I bet that it would be smeared with Koichi’s blood. It seemed like he had struggled a lot to get it open, just like Sadamu had… but why?  _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Hand Wounds_ **

 

_ Moving on from the body, I turned towards the articles of clothing that Koichi had apparently removed and thrown beside him- that, or the murderer really had a weird agenda around boy scout uniforms. I crouched down beside them, noticing that they appeared to have streaks of blood spotting them- but the ascot was drenched in it. It had been untied, one long strip of bloodsoaked cloth in the snow. Only the end was sticking out of a pile of snow, so I had to tug it out to examine the entire thing and confirm that the whole thing was, indeed, now dark red instead of orange.  _

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Panicked; clutching collar] Woah, hey! What are you doing messing with the crime scene?!

 

**JIN:** I’m investigating. What does it look like?

 

**HITOMIKO:** I haven’t even gotten a photo of everything, Jin! What if the placement of these items is important?

 

**JIN:** I have a pretty good memory. I’m sure I’ll manage. 

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Annoyed; pointing] You’re not the only one trying to figure this out, y’know? We’re  _ all  _ in this together, Jin. You can’t just fuss around and ruin things for everyone else!

 

**HITOMIKO:** I get that you figured out who did it last time, and you have some stupid little title, but that doesn’t mean you’re always going to be the one who breaks the case. Let some of us have a chance too.

 

**JIN:** I just think that I’m the most qualified to handle something like this.

 

**HITOMIKO:** And I study crime scene photos for a hobby! You’re not the only smart person here, or the only one who knows about crime. I bet Hiroko could run circles around you in terms of how to cover up a murder.

 

**JIN:** Are you just admitting that Hiroko’s a murderer?   
  


**HITOMIKO:** _ That’s beside the point!  _

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Pulling out camera] Look, I’m just trying to get a few good shots of the crime scene. So can you investigate somewhere else while I’m doing this?

 

**JIN:** What do you have already? 

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Sighing; handing over polaroids] I went up a little to try and follow the bloodstains to wherever Koichi stepped on that thing. Couldn’t go far before the snow covered everything up, and there weren’t any footprints either.

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Blood Trail _ **

 

**JIN:** Well, that’s good to know anyway. Means that the murder couldn’t have been committed very recently- hang on. Do you have your Monopad on you?

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Cheeky; sticking out tongue] Duhhh, of course I do! What, did you lose yours up your ass or something?

 

**JIN:** More like I left it in Koichi’s room. I just wanted to check the Monokuma File while I was here. These photos aren’t going to be very useful if it already tells us the time of death. 

 

**HITOMIKO:** The location is still important! It looked like it was leading to the woods-

 

**JIN:** That’s already been covered as well. Ruka and Isana set the bear traps in the woods to catch any would-be killers. Shame it caught Koichi as well, but it wasn’t like it was intentional.

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Embarrassed; half covering face] Eheh… I guess they really would be pretty useless then.

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Handing over Monopad] Here, you can go check it out. I don’t really pay much attention to that crap.

 

_ So much for you being a good investigator, Hitomiko.  _

 

_ I flicked over to the Monokuma File. It listed Tokiya’s at the top, but scrolling down I could see Koichi’s. His body was displayed, as gruesome as it was in real life. But something seemed to be glitching out on his file…  _

 

**JIN:** What the fuck?

 

**_Victim’s Name:_ ** _ Koichi Kizakura _

**_Time of Death:_ ** _ Between 1 and 2 am _

**_Location Discovered:_ ** _ Front Doorstep of the Cabin _

**_Cause of Death:_ ** _ [ REDACTED ] _

**_Other Injuries:_ ** _ Severe trauma to leg, mild damage to hands, evidence of frostbite around extremities  _

**_Discovered By:_ ** _ Sadamu Yasuhiro, Jin Kirigiri, Hiroko Hagakure  _

 

**JIN:** Where’s the cause of death?

 

**HITOMIKO:** [Curious; leaning forwards] Huh?

 

_ The screen was bugging out- the word [ REDACTED ] had appeared in front of the cause of death, but even that was hard to read, as the letters kept jumping around it. Apparently, Monokuma didn’t want us to know this… or he couldn’t tell? One of the two, anyway. At least the time of death served to clear a few things up.  _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Glitching Monokuma File_ **

 

_ I handed Hitomiko back her Monopad so that she could inspect it, her eyes going wide. She started mumbling something under her breath, before shoving the file into her pocket and snatching her camera, taking shots like crazy. I decided to leave it to her and just come check out her photographs at the end of the investigation period.  _

 

_ Moving back a few steps, I turned around to check out the fallen door. Sadamu had completely ripped it off its hinges, and it rested on the ground a few feet away from the doorframe. I jiggled the doorknob, assuring myself that it was indeed locked. So someone must have gotten ahold of the front key… _

 

_ Hang on. Didn’t I have that? _

 

_ I swept my hands across my body, digging them into pockets to check. Surprisingly, I came up with nothing- the key was missing. I hadn’t taken it out when I was in my room, had I? I furrowed my brow, mentally retracing my steps- someone could have pickpocketed me in the commotion this morning, but that didn’t make sense, considering Koichi had been killed during the night. I hadn’t taken it out of my pocket while I was in my room, and even if I had, nobody would have been able to get in there during the night. I’d made sure to lock the door.  _

 

_ So that just left my confrontation with Koichi. He’d grabbed my cape, but I didn’t remember him touching my pockets- _

 

_ The chase. _

 

_ I’d reached in and grabbed something from my pockets in the panic, and had thrown it at him. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but it must have been the key. But that still didn’t make sense. If Koichi had the key, wouldn’t he be able to have unlock the door…? _

 

_ None of this made any sense. _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: The Cabin Key_ **

 

_ I stood up, stretching out my arms and taking a cursory glance at the rest of the room. There were seven coats hanging on the hook- one missing, presumably the same one Koichi had been wearing in the snow. A key rack was nailed next to it, which of course was missing its only key. That meant whoever had killed Koichi must have had it… that is, if he was killed at all. If this case got any more confusing I’d probably kill myself out of the desperation. _

 

_ … _

 

_ That joke would probably be funnier in different circumstances. _

 

_ There wasn’t anything else particularly interesting in the doorway, so I ambled over to the fireplace. The bitter chill outside had started to get to me, so I fanned out my fingers in front of the embers, trying to get some warmth back into them. No wonder Koichi had gotten frostbite, especially if he was out there in the night. Monokuma probably dropped the temperatures overnight like the sadist he was.  _

 

_ Minon was slumped in the chair next to the fire, fussing with her fingers. They looked a little healthier, the tips flushing with more red than black, and the putrid flesh had scabbed over. Still sickening to look at, though, and I was suddenly regretting having such a big breakfast.  _

 

**MINON:** [Thinking; looking at hand] Shizuya wanted to… grab the last croissant… so I let her. Didn’t do much good for me, though… I keep wanting to pick at these things. 

 

**MINON:** Maybe I can… make Takaaki heal completely… I bet that would give me a nice manicure.

 

**JIN:** So why aren’t you?

 

**MINON:** ...He’s annoying.

 

_ Fair point.  _

 

**MINON:** I might do it if I get more bored than I already am… 

 

**JIN:** You know, maybe you could lend some of your luck to help us win this case.

 

**MINON:** [Absent; sucking on fingers] Eh… I can’t really tell where my luck goes… or what it does… if I give it to other people… more accurate if I just keep it to myself for this round…

 

**MINON:** Besides… I’d pass out from boredom if we found out who did it in the first two minutes of the trial…

 

**JIN:** Well, just- don’t use it for that then. Use it to find some  _ evidence. _

 

**MINON:** [Wiggling fingers] Alakazam… luck, make some evidence fall right into my lap…

 

_ With a loud ‘WHUMP’, a heavy book suddenly dislodged from the shelves above Minon and literally dropped into her lap.  _

 

**MINON:** Booyeah… now I can read… uhm… 

 

**MINON:** [Holding up book] Whatever this shit says… 

 

_ The book was written in English, and seemed far out of place in the bookshelves near the fireplace. It was a large encyclopedia on natural wildlife, nothing like the horror and gothic stories that had been squirreled away in the lobby. I frowned, picking it up and squinting at it. _

 

**JIN:** Someone moved this from the Library.

 

_ And by moving my finger around the rim of it, I was able feel some caked-on blood blending against the rich leather of the binding. Interesting. This could either be part of the case, or someone had just gotten a really nasty papercut on it. I’d note it down as evidence anyway. _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Misplaced Encyclopedia_ **

 

**MINON:** Wow… I probably just cracked the case right there… what a thrill…

 

_ And with that, Minon slumped over and started snoring. I rolled my eyes, placing the book back on the shelf it had fallen from. Only Minon could think a murder case was literally something to snooze at. Her life was so far removed from the rest of us, I could barely comprehend it. Living as the (likely) sole user of genuine superpowers was pretty mind boggling, so being kidnapped into a giant spaceship and forced to kill people must have come second to that.  _

 

_ Before I continued with my investigation I should probably go and grab my Monopad. While my memory was pretty superb, it wasn’t exactly eidetic. Finding something I could use to write down my thoughts in would definitely help, particularly during the trial. _

 

_ I left Minon sleeping near the fireplace, taking the steps two at a time until I made it to my- our- Koichi’s room. A chill went up my spine upon entering. A couple of people- Maiku, Taichi- were searching in here, even though the room was pretty bare. Taichi seemed more like he was stealing from it than actually investigating, rooting around in the closet and stuffing some of Koichi’s clothes under his shirt. _

 

**JIN:** Taichi, what the fuck are you doing?

 

_ Taichi squeaked, jumping up and nearly hitting his head on a shelf in the closet. It was lucky he was so short, or else he’d probably get a concussion with that velocity. He turned around slowly, a guilty smile slowly blooming across his face. _

 

**TAICHI:** Uh… looting.

 

_ I thought I was meant to be the blunt one here.  _

 

**JIN:** Why the- you know what, you probably wouldn’t answer that anyway. But that could be evidence. You can’t touch that.

 

**TAICHI:** [Guilty; looking to the side] Not sure that this p-particular case would really involve Koichi’s clothes, b-but… fine. Probably w-wouldn’t have fit me anyway.

 

_ Taichi pulled up his shirt, and bundles of clothes tumbled out, forming a small puddle around him. Most of it was Koichi’s weird undershirts. I never had gotten a straight answer about what they were. Still kind of creepy that Taichi thought that it was a free for all. _

 

**TAICHI:** I’ll j-just come pick these up once the auction s-starts. Got some p-pretty nifty stuff last time.

 

**JIN:** I thought I was the only one who went to that?

 

**TAICHI:** [Scratching back of head] W-Well, Monokuma h-had torched most of the stuff b-by the time I got there. I w-was able to nab the Monopads and o-other electronics. Metal st-stuff too.

 

**TAICHI:** W-watches, fountain pens, b-braces wire, g-glasses… the digs. 

 

**JIN:** I’d really hate to know what you’re using Tokiya’s braces for.

 

**TAICHI:** [Accusing; shakily pointing] Y-You know I can’t divulge th-that information!

 

**JIN:** Whatever. Just don’t grab  _ my  _ Monopad this time. I left it in here and I need it.

 

**TAICHI:** …

 

**TAICHI:** [Sighing; pulling Monopad from pocket] D-Damn. 

 

_ I swiped my Monopad from Taichi’s hands, flicking through it to check my old notes and confirm it was mine and not Koichi’s. Yup… all my old information seemed to be on here. I recounted the information I had already gotten from this case, scrolling down the Truth Bullets to add some new ones. Once I was up to date, I switched it off and stashed it inside my cape. I wasn’t going to lose track of this thing again… it was probably the most important tool Monokuma had provided us, and I didn’t want to risk Taichi scabbing it up to make his weird contraptions. _

 

**TAICHI:** [Mumbling] Th-they’re not “weird contraptions”. 

 

_ I jolted, spinning around to Taichi, who appeared to have been peering over my shoulder the entire time. _

 

**JIN:** How did you know I-

 

**TAICHI:** [Placing hand on shoulder] I can r-read minds. That’s why the g-government is after me. I escaped f-from a secret facility and have been o-on the run ever since.

 

**JIN:** …

 

**TAICHI:** …

 

**JIN:** …

 

**TAICHI:** [Retreating] N-Nah, you j-just speak under your breath a lot. Besides, if I w-was an escapee, I’d n-never tell you.

 

**JIN:** You shouldn’t be eavesdropping on me.

 

**TAICHI:** I l-like to stay “in the loop”. Y-You’re a detective. If y-your brain juice is spilling out everywhere, I’m g-gonna mop it up and absorb that shit.

 

**MAIKU:** [Pulling face] Ew, Sir Taichi! That’s such a disgusting metaphor!

 

_ Maiku had seemingly appeared from nowhere, and was poking his head over my other shoulder, trying to see whatever Taichi had been looking at. He drew away once he noticed the two of us staring at him.  _

 

**TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] Agent. Y-You were meant to be guarding the door s-so that nobody walked in on m-me looting in the  _ first place. _

 

**TAICHI:** [Accusing; shakily pointing] S-So why is Jin in here  _ anyway?!  _

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on sleeve] Well,  _ first off,  _ you said you were  _ investigating.  _ Not looting. And second off- I just couldn’t stop myself from doing some investigative work of my own! It seemed so… well, enthralling and exciting!

 

**MAIKU:** Denying me a glimpse into investigative intrigue is just  _ cruel,  _ Sir Taichi.

 

_ Dear god. They’ve got a whole roleplaying thing going on here. _

 

**JIN:** Did you even find anything?

 

**MAIKU:** [Impudent; nose stuck up] Humph! Well, I discovered Sir Taichi dumping clothes everywhere,  _ completely  _ disrespecting them!

 

**MAIKU:** But a little less recently…

 

_ Maiku held out his hand, unfurling it to reveal a note. It was a bit crumpled from being in his hand, but was otherwise intact. It looked like it had been abandoned halfway through writing it, though- like whoever had penned it had given up mid sentence. Maybe this was a draft of some sort. He held it up in the air and cleared his throat. _

 

**MAIKU:** “If you’re reading this, I’m already dead. This may not surprise some of you. I wanted to keep pushing on, but I just can’t anymore. My life is in shambles, and I can’t bring myself to hope that things are going to get better, especially not after-” End note. 

 

**TAICHI:** [Thinking; adjusting glasses] Where did you f-find this?

 

**MAIKU:** [Pocketing the note] In the bedside table! Sir Jin… you shared this room, did you not? Is this your note, or the victim’s?

 

**JIN:** Definitely  _ not  _ mine. I know I- well- it  _ sounds  _ like me, but I- things have been okay. I didn’t write that.

 

**TAICHI:** B-But this means that our “murder”... m-might actually be a suicide, then! If this  _ truly  _ belongs to K-Koichi…

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on sleeve] Maybe… But I mean, I wouldn’t really kill myself by walking into a bear trap and dying in the snow…

 

**MAIKU:** [Determined; palm pressed to chest] Stabbing oneself or ingesting poison are  _ far  _ more romantic!

 

**JIN:** Isn’t it weird where you found it, also?

 

**MAIKU:** Huh?

 

**JIN:** I mean… wouldn’t it be holding it if he actually wanted to die outside? Not hide it away half-finished in the bedside table.

 

**TAICHI:** Astute observation!

 

**JIN:** I have a feeling we’re not getting the whole story here. 

 

_ I guess that’s what the trial’s for, though.  _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Half-Finished Suicide(?) Note_ **

 

_ Maiku looked troubled at this, but instead of saying anything, knelt down to pick up Koichi’s clothes. An odd expression flickered across his face as he ran his fingers over the material, but it was gone as soon as I blinked. Strange. Maybe I was just hallucinating. God knows I was stressed enough for that.  _

 

_ There wasn’t really much left for me to investigate in Koichi’s room- it looked pretty much the same as it had when I’d left it. The only problem now was that I was a bit directionless- I could follow up the lead of the book Minon had “found”, but that wouldn’t lead to much. Maybe I should check out one of the other upstairs rooms- the talent room seemed a good place to start. It was nearest to the bedroom and I could examine the bear traps up-close without worrying about getting caught there. _

 

_ That is, if Ruka and Isana hadn’t taken all of them already. _

 

**JIN:** I’m heading to the talent room. If anyone wants to join me… 

 

**JIN:** Don’t.

 

_ This is the one chance I have to investigate on my own and not be lead astray by everyone else’s opinions. I shouldn’t blow it, even if that means being rude. I quickly stepped out of Koichi’s bedroom, making the short trip to the Talent Room. It was still as garish as it had always been, clashing paint making my eyes strain. I rubbed at them, before making a b-line to my section. The equipment here might not be as useful as they would in a more professional setting, one where I could fingerprint everyone, but it still might help. _

 

_ Surprisingly, nobody seemed to have hit this area yet. They were probably all busy downstairs, or with the body. It seemed like I had the whole room to myself.  _

 

_ I sighed, grabbing the forensic kit and looking it over. Testing for blood would be pretty hard outside, but I might be able to use it anyway. My pocket in my cape was already full with my Monopad, so it’d be pretty hard to lug this around. The one case I get where I can use some proper equipment, and it happens to be one where it’s pretty much useless. Great. I set back down the kit, preparing to head towards Koichi’s section, when I… heard something. _

 

_ A grunting noise. Coming from behind the curtains of Hitomiko’s darkroom. _

 

_ I froze, turning to the source of the sound and brushing some hair out of my eyes. Someone was behind there… for whatever reason. Odd place to investigating… apart from the chemical bath, there didn’t really seem to be anything in there worth considering in the context of a murder case. Especially one like this.  _

 

_ My steps were cautious as I approached the darkroom, tentatively drawing back the curtain only a sliver so I could gaze into the redwashed area. _

 

_ Slumped in the corner was a figure dressed in pants and a shirt, long hair covering their face. They were leaning against the chemical bath, and grunting under their breath as they tried to struggle against invisible restraints. The top of their head was smeared by what looked like blood, but it was impossible to really tell in this lighting. _

 

**JIN:** Uh… hello?

 

**???:** Mmnmm… mmph! 

 

_ I moved closer, noticing that their voice was definitely muffled. A gag, then. Someone had put them here. As my eyes grew adjusted to the odd lighting, I could see a pile of ropes surrounding them- but that didn’t seem to be what was holding them to the chemical bath. They seemed to have squirmed free of the ropes hours ago, but their arms were still bent behind their back, no matter how hard they yanked at them. _

 

**JIN:** Okay, I’m- uh. I’m going to take your gag off. Is that okay?

 

_ I knelt down, reaching behind the person’s head. My fingers caught on fabric, and I tugged, loosening it enough that I could pull it down to their neck. I heard them cough, their whole body shuddering, and then they lifted their head. Their hair fell away from their face, revealing…  _

 

**JIN:** Ruka?

 

**RUKA:** [Wincing; tugging on bonds] Who else were you expecting?

 

**JIN:** Well I didn’t exactly come in here looking to find  _ anybody…  _  how long have you been tied up like this?

 

**RUKA:** Since last night. Can you help me get out of these handcuffs?

 

**JIN:** Ah, shit…

 

_ I reached around, feeling the handcuffs secured tight around Ruka’s wrists and the leg of the chemical bath. It would be impossible to get these off without using a key… which I had no way of finding. I moved my hands away from Ruka’s wrists and stood up, sweeping my gaze over the rest of the darkroom. It looked pretty bare- a few photos were strung up to develop, most of them showing pictures of the rest of the class having fun in the snow. Hitomiko must have shot these yesterday. But no key.  _

 

**JIN:** You mind waiting here while I go and look for the key?

 

**RUKA:** Not like there’s much else I can do, is there?

 

**JIN:** Good point.

 

_ I slipped out of the darkroom, evaluating my options. I either needed the key, or something that could pry or cut the handcuffs off by force. Whoever locked her up there probably had the key, so that was pretty much not an option… unless all the handcuffs used the same key. That seemed a little bit far-fetched, but if I couldn’t find anything else to jimmy them open, I might have to try it. _

 

_ Hiroko’s area had a lot of weapons I could use… but then again, me and Koichi had already cleared those up. And a giant spiked bat probably wasn’t the best way to gently get someone out of a pair of handcuffs, anyway. I hate to say it, but having Takaaki over here would probably help all of us in this situation. He wouldn’t just leave Ruka tied up like that, and he definitely knew how to handle handcuffs better than the rest of us. Hiroko might have similar expertise- just on the opposite end- but there was no saying she’d be willing to get Ruka out of those cuffs. Especially not after Ruka had given her a black eye. _

 

_ I moved back over to my desk, starting to pull through the drawers. If Monokuma knew me at all, he’d know that I was taught how to pick locks as part of my training. Amongst dealing with poisons… actually, I really hoped he didn’t include those, especially after Koichi and I hadn’t looked through my second. I didn’t want someone to get any ideas more malicious than drugging someone with a sedative to make them go to sleep.  _

 

_ It was the third drawer when I found it- a box full of familiar lock-picking tools. I grinned, dragging it out and placing it on the desk’s surface. Strangely, the latches seemed to already be unlocked… odd. I hadn’t bothered going through this stuff before. Maybe Monokuma had just been messy…? _

 

_ No. Now’s not the time to be making assumptions like that. Something about this was suspicious. It just might not have much bearing on this particular case, but if someone had gone through these tools… they might be hiding amongst us with an advantage. I needed to keep that in mind. My grin slowly slipped away into a grimace, especially when I noted that, indeed, several of the tools used for larger locks had been taken. Luckily, none of the finer tools I’d be using for this job would be touched. _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Missing Lockpicks_ **

 

_ I grabbed several of the smaller picks, shutting the case and placing it back in its drawer. Ruka was still sitting slumped near the chemical bath by the time I got back to the darkroom. Evidently, she hadn’t managed to magically slip out of her bonds while I was busy. What a shame. _

 

**JIN:** I didn’t find the key.

 

**RUKA:** You were only gone for five fuckin’ minutes- of course ya didn’t! Go back and use your eyes properly!

 

**JIN:** Calm down. I said I didn’t find the  _ key,  _ not that I didn’t find a way to get you out of there.

 

_ Ruka calmed down at that, and knelt down next to her again. It took quite a while for me to find the right tools for the tiny lock on the handcuffs, and even longer for me to actually unlock them. Ruka’s squirming and the dim red light of the darkroom didn’t help things at all, but I got them off eventually. Not after twenty minutes of valuable investigation time were lost, though. _

 

**RUKA:** [Rubbing at wrists; grateful] ...Sorry for snapping at you earlier, Jin. I really appreciate you saving me.

 

**JIN:** I wouldn’t have just left you strung up like that. You could call it my… civic duty.

 

**RUKA:** Or I could call it “you being a good person”. You should give yourself more credit, Jin.

 

_ We’ll just have to agree to disagree about that one. _

 

**RUKA:** [Mumbling; hand over mouth] Well don’t you say the  _ strangest  _ things under your breath…

 

**JIN:** What was that?

 

**RUKA:** Nothing! 

 

_ Ruka stood from her position, and I followed suit. She fussed a little with her hair, grimacing as her hand carded through her locks and came back sticky with blood. Her knees buckled, and she had to brace herself against the wall to stay upright. I wanted to offer her my shoulder to lean on, but honestly, I wasn’t sure if I could hold up her weight without collapsing. Instead, I just parted the curtain for her to step through, following close behind.  _

 

**JIN:** So, uh… if you don’t mind answering a few questions-

 

**RUKA:** [Holding up hand] Actually, I’d prefer if  _ you _ give  _ me  _ some answers, not questions. What was that Body Discovery Announcement for? Who- who died?

 

_ I shifted my weight from foot to foot, unsure how to tell Ruka the news. The gravity of the whole situation had just hit me- like I’d died myself and not realised it until I’d seen  _ **_my_ ** _ body curled up in the snow. Just like Maiku and Taichi had buried themselves in their respective Knight and Agent roles… I’d unknowingly stepped back into my Emotionless Detective role. _

 

_ My complicated feelings for the victim didn’t exactly help things either. _

 

**JIN:** I- uh- I just want to preface this by saying that this wasn’t- uh. This wasn’t your fault, Ruka.

 

**JIN:** You tried as hard as you could to make sure that no murders would happen again, and it- you did all you could. Yeah.

 

_ As always, my methods of comforting people were just stellar.  _

 

**RUKA:** [Deadly serious] Jin. I don’t need your pity. Just tell me who died.

 

**JIN:** ...Koichi.

 

_ Ruka flinched, her stony expression wavering for a beat. Sometimes it was hard to remember that my context for Koichi was different from everyone else’s. My personal distaste for him and his actions towards me wouldn’t translate to what everyone else was feeling- in fact, they’d probably never seen that side of him at all. Just like I hadn’t seen their side of him. Koichi had been Ruka and Isana’s friend, someone they’d depended on to help them keep everyone else safe. And now one of their own… one of the  _ **_leaders_ ** _ was lying dead before them. I couldn’t put myself into their shoes, no matter how hard I tried, but I could still appreciate how hard it must be for them. _

 

_ Especially when one of them thinks they killed him. _

 

**RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] Oh dear… 

 

**JIN:** I assure you, we’re all doing our best to bring his killer to justice.

 

**RUKA:** And all this time, I’ve just been- tied up here! Useless!

 

**RUKA:** [Angry; cracking knuckles] Argh! What th’ fuck is wrong with me?! Why wasn’t I paying more attention last night?!

 

**JIN:** What happened last night?

 

_ Ruka leant against the wall, squeezing her eyes shut taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. I watched her reach out and tap the wall- two short bursts, a pause, and then two again. This continued until her breathing evened out, and she was able to open her eyes and look down at me with a more guarded expression. A small tear snuck out of the corner of one eye, but she brushed it away before it even reached her cheekbone. _

 

**RUKA:** [Troubled; looking off into the distance] Last night… I was set to patrol the inside of the cabin. Isana had been tasked with outside patrols, and we were meant to switch over at midnight.

 

**RUKA:** Sure, this meant that we weren’t going to get much sleep that night, but we could always nap in the day. The nights are more dangerous, and there’s more people around to potentially witness a crime in the daytime.

 

**RUKA:** We both had our… methods of staying awake, anyway.

 

_ Isana was tasked with the outside patrol, huh? Weird… I wonder how she didn’t manage to catch Koichi outside… or notice that Ruka wasn’t there to switch over during midnight. _

 

**RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] Anyway… I was about an hour into my patrols when someone sneaked up behind me. I only noticed them when they were about a metre away from me, and by then it was too late.

 

**RUKA:** [Swinging hands down] Before I could turn around, I’d been hit by something heavy, and I was out like a light!

 

**RUKA:** [Worried; wringing hands] By the time I woke up, it was morning, and I’d been tied to the chemical bath. It wasn’t hard to get the ropes off, but the handcuffs were a real issue… the person who tied me up there probably knew that just ropes weren’t going to be enough to hold me.

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Ruka’s Testimony_ **

 

**JIN:** I have one question for all of that.

 

_ Well, I have more, but I think it would serve us all better if I waited for the trial to bring them up. Then I can get Isana’s input too. _

 

**RUKA:** What is it?

 

**JIN:** Well, when you were knocked unconscious, didn’t you  _ technically  _ fall asleep outside of your dorm room? During the night hours? I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure that would have violated one of Monokuma’s rules.

 

**JIN:** And we all know what happens to people who do that…

 

**RUKA:** [Touching stomach] Well, judging by the fact that I’m not a shishkebab, I’d say that it just doesn’t apply to people who don’t have a choice when it comes to falling asleep.

 

**JIN:** Maybe so.

 

_ Still seems pretty important to keep track of. _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Ruka’s Rule Violation_ **

 

**JIN:** Alright, well… I guess that’s all you can tell me right now. Uh… do you need me to escort you outside?

 

**RUKA:** [Brushing off shirt] I can manage. Would you mind telling me where the… where Koichi is?

 

**JIN:** He’s- uhm, he’s outside. Out the front door. 

 

_ Ruka nodded wordlessly, before staggering out the archway and back into the hallway. I let out a breath I hadn’t even realised I was holding, trying to remember why I’d come into the talent room in the first place. The bear traps. Right. Those would be in Koichi’s section… a bit creepy, but I’d deal. It wasn’t like I believed in ghosts, more like the constant reminder of who he was pressing on me would get a little much after a while. _

 

_ Koichi’s section was in more disarray than I’d last seen it. The armchairs had been knocked over- apparently, they’d been nothing more than carefully disguised boxes of bear traps with a few cushions over them. Only a few boxes still remained amongst the tangled fabric, and I got to work opening one of them and pulling the bear trap out. _

 

_ It was a hefty thing, and the teeth were sharp to the touch. I made sure not to cut my hands on any evidence this time, though, drawing it away when I managed to make contact with the blade. It looked just like the one I’d seen wrapped around Koichi’s mangled leg, and it was hard to get the gory image out of my head. I shuddered, re-checking the settings, and even skimming through the manual included in the box. These were the real deal, all right. The ominous lack of fauna in these biodomes meant only one thing- Monokuma had placed these down here with the sole intention of causing a murder with them. _

 

_ And boy, did he succeed. _

 

_ What I would give to get  _ **_him_ ** _ in one of these bear traps. Deploy them for their intended use. Bet it would be pretty hard of him to attack any of us strung up in one of these… though the government probably had copies of him. It was hard to remember that Monokuma wasn’t a person- just a robot programmed to make our lives miserable, controlled by some faceless higher ups. If I ever got out of here, I might as well carry on Taichi’s torch and try to bring the government down for what they’d done to us. _

 

_ Unfortunately, this didn’t really give me any huge insight into how the murder had gone down. Not much more than I’d already known, anyway. I put the trap back, and was about to leave when I noticed something else odd about Koichi’s little area. _

 

_ The set of drawers that had been so neat and proper the last time I’d seen them had been flung out, as if they’d been violently searched through. One of them was even on the floor, ripped straight out of the cabinet entirely. I narrowed my eyes, inspecting the damage. The contents inside seemed to be disturbed, but not much had actually been taken. All the books and guides were still there, along with the camping supplies and a few pieces of first aid kit. But something nagged at me. _

 

_ … _

 

_ There was no rope left. _

 

_ Every single inch of it had been taken from the drawers. At least that explained where the culprit had gotten the rope to tie Ruka up with, but there seemed to be more missing than there should be, if they’d just used it for that. Curious… very curious. There were a lot more layers to this case than I’d once thought, and even if this all turned out to be irrelevant, it was good to make note of things. Just in case. _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Rummaged-Through Drawers_ **

 

_ Maybe this was the same person who’d stolen my lock picks? I hope that all of this can be brought up in the trial, even if there turns out to be no connection. Honestly, I’m kind of pissed off that someone would go into my area and steal my stuff. It’s an invasion of privacy, almost. I don’t need anybody seeing what types of skills I have, or what equipment I use, let alone using it for their own (likely nefarious) schemes. It’s just rude. _

 

_ With this room pretty thoroughly investigated, I finally decided to start checking out the other upstairs room: the ballroom. Ironically, the one room that I’d thought I’d be spending the most time in, but ended up never visiting. Except to get the violin that one time… but I’d left that downstairs in the dining room. _

 

_ It was still as grand as it always had been. There were more people up here than I thought there would be- Renma and Hana seemed to be peering over into the trap door that lead down to the dining room, whereas Sadamu was inspecting the jukebox, which appeared to have capsized over next to it. I decided to head over to him first, seeing as the other two seemed pretty deep in a conversation that involved a lot of violent hand motions and deep cackling on Renma’s part. _

 

**JIN:** What happened to this?

 

_ Sadamu startled as I spoke, which was quite amusing for someone so large. He sighed, scooting over so I could see the jukebox in more detail. The front, glass part of it had smashed, shards of glass scattered all over the area. It had also moved quite far from where it usually was, as though it had been tugged or pushed over next to the trap door. _

 

**SADAMU:** [Brushing off hands] Someone pushed it over, probably. Ah, but Jin… I feel I need to clarify something about my actions today-

 

**JIN:** Sadamu. We were under the effect of mind-altering drugs. You cracking Takaaki’s head in for threatening everyone with a gun or whatever he was trying to do this morning is the least of my worries, especially since he’s getting medical treatment.

 

**SADAMU:** Still, I, uh… have been acting very uncharacteristically… emotional, these past few days. It’s as new to me as it is to all of you, I assure you.

 

_ What does he mean? Sure, he looks like a mess, but we were all messed up by the motive. Besides, he never really struck me as the type to be particular unemotional before. I’d have to ask him later about what he means. _

 

**JIN:** I said don’t worry about it. Especially not now. We’re trying to solve a murder.

 

_ Sadamu’s expression turned much more grim, and he nodded.  _

 

**SADAMU:** [Scowling; hair covering eyes] It’s such a shame that another life has gone so quickly… it’s a disruption of the natural balance of things.

 

**SADAMU:** Men were not meant to die so quickly… and not in these circumstances. How are we meant to live our lives if we are artificially forced to cull them so quick?

 

**SADAMU:** [Looking to the side]  _ Pour exécuter de grandes choses, il faut vivre comme si on ne devait jamais mourir. _

 

**JIN:** Huh?

 

**SADAMU:** Ah… it is a famous saying. “In order to achieve great things, we must live as though we were never going to die”.

 

**SADAMU:** Quite the opposite of what we’re experiencing right now. And even if I have always been comfortable with my own mortality, stifling the greatness of some of the world’s most shining stars is… abhorrent. 

 

**JIN:** I can’t say I’ve ever lived as though I was never going to die…

 

**SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] Then you must be more at home in this situation than you realise. Use that to your advantage, Jin.  _ Carpe diem.  _

 

**JIN:** I’m not sure I can seize the day quite like this.

 

**SADAMU:** But you can seize this mystery,  _ non?  _ Find the killer, make them pay their dues. Your skill set is more equipped to this than any of us.

 

**SADAMU:** Especially now that Takaaki is gone. You don’t have anyone holding you back.

 

**JIN:** That’s not pressuring at all.

 

**SADAMU:** [Shrugging] I am merely noting the obvious. I am not a thinking man, Jin. More of an observer. I couldn’t figure out this mystery on my own.

 

_ Sadamu patted the top of the jukebox, causing a slight cracking sound from somewhere inside it. If it wasn’t already broken, it was now. _

 

**SADAMU:** Take this for example. Do I know why this jukebox has capsized?  _ Non.  _ Could someone like you figure it out?  _ Oui.  _ I believe so.

 

**JIN:** I’d need more evidence for that.

 

**SADAMU:** Then the floor is yours. 

 

_ Sadamu shuffled out of the way, and I knelt down next to the jukebox, trying not to get any glass embedded in my knees. I swept my hand down the back of it, down to its legs. The design of this jukebox was quite odd- unlike other models I’d seen, this one was wooden and stood on four stumpy-looking legs. As I felt around them, something brushed against my fingertips, and I pulled them back to see a few light threads sticking to my hand. _

 

**JIN:** Weird.

 

_ Something made of fabric had been caught underneath here… or elsewise wrapped around these legs. The thread looked to be white, but I couldn’t identify the material just by touching it. I didn’t nearly have that amount of specialised training- clothing forensics had never really interested me. Maybe this had ripped off of someone’s shirt when they pushed the jukebox over, but it wouldn’t explain why it was caught on the legs of the device. _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: White Threads_ **

 

**SADAMU:** [Thinking; fist pressed to jaw] Found anything,  _ mon ami? _

 

**JIN:** I found these threads. If I had to guess, someone wrapped a shirt or something around the base of the jukebox, and it ripped a little when they tried to pull it free. But I can’t image what they’d do  _ that _ for.

 

**SADAMU:** [Looking to side] Ah, you may want to ask Renma and Hana. I believe they found something interesting about the state of the trap door, but Hana does not wish to talk to someone like me, and of course, that makes Renma defensive of her.

 

**SADAMU:** I’ve been exiled out of their conversation. Perhaps you can join and report back to me? I am very curious as what they managed to find, and why it would require them to- ah, see, Renma’s arching her back like a startled cat. What  _ ever  _ could have prompted that? One of life’s greatest mysteries, I am afraid.

 

**JIN:** I didn’t know spines could bend like that.

 

_ I bid Sadamu farewell and moved a few steps over to Renma and Hana. Hana was laughing heartily at something, Renma arched over her like a housecat, almost completely obscuring the smaller girl from view. I cleared my throat and she jumped back, holding out her hands in a fighting position. _

 

**RENMA:** [Enraged; hands curled into claws] Who  _ dares  _ to disturb the dark musings of the Great Renma Tanaka, and her unearthly consort?!

 

**JIN:** Me. Jin.

 

**RENMA:** Investigative mortal… you have no power around me! Not ever again!

 

**HANA:** [Placing hand on Renma’s shoulder] C’mon darlin’, let him check out what we found. He is a detective, after all.

 

**JIN:** Yes, about that… what’s so important about the trap door? Why are you all… cuddly over it?

 

**HANA:** [Blushing; tugging on collar] Er… it ain’t the trap door that’s doin’ that, sweetie. Renma just wanted to share a few stories with me, and I didn’t know what else I could be doin’, ‘coz I ain’t the brightest at all this mystery stuff. So I listened.

 

**RENMA:** My glorious war stories!

 

**HANA:** [Giggling; blushing] Like how your cape got caught in a blender?

 

**RENMA:** _ Wretched technology! _

 

_ The two of them suddenly started laughing. I felt more like a third wheel now than I ever had before in my life. I cleared my throat again and they stopped, Hana still cuddled up next to Renma. _

 

**HANA:** [Wiping amused tears from eyes] Anyway, anyway… y’can have a look at the trap door if y’like. Nothin’ too interesting. There’s somethin’ down below, but neither of our eyesight is the greatest.

 

_ Well, one of you always has your eyes closed and the other has a fringe covering their’s. I’m not too surprised.  _

 

**JIN:** How’d you find the trap door? This might have some relevance to the case.

 

**HANA:** Oh, it was open. Like it is now. Didn’t really think that much of it at the th’time, there’s just not much else to look at besides the jukebox… and, er…

 

**HANA:** [Nervous; sweating]  _ Sadamu  _ has that covered.

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Open Trapdoor_ **

 

**JIN:** He’s not a bad guy. 

 

**HANA:** He nearly killed Takaaki today!

 

**RENMA:** [Annoyed; arms crossed] His form was all wrong. That isn’t how you sacrifice someone  _ at all! _

 

_ I see the two of them object to his behaviour from entirely different standpoints. _

 

**JIN:** That wasn’t his fault. And, in case you forgot, Takaaki was more of a threat than he ever was. It wasn’t like Sadamu was the one with the  _ gun.  _

 

**HANA:** It’s not like I’d be nice to Takaaki if he was still kickin’ either…

 

**JIN:** Come on. It’s not like he’s  _ dead. _

 

**RENMA:** Regrettably so… still. Can we trust in Monokuma’s resurrection rites to ensure Takaaki’s health? He could be alchemiting him into a dark servant of Monokuma’s own beastly design!

 

**JIN:** Something tells me that’s  _ not  _ what’s going to happen.

 

**HANA:** [Biting lip; sweating profusely] Still… I’m a lot of a smaller lil’ bumpkin than Takaaki was. I don’t wanna know what someone so large as Sadamu could do to me…

 

**RENMA:** [Smirking; arms crossed] Which is why I’m here to protect you!

 

**HANA:** [Giggling; blushing] Heheh… I suppose so, sweetheart.

 

_ The two of them began talking about something completely unrelated, almost as if they’d forgotten I was there. Actually, I’d bet that’s just what happened. Oh well. I don’t think there was much else they could tell me, and I’d already gotten the hint to go downstairs and see what they were talking about with the trap door.  _

 

**JIN:** Well, Sadamu, I’m just going to-

 

**SADAMU:** [Waving hand] No need to tell me,  _ mon ami.  _ I have keen ears. I could hear every word of your conversation, once you got those two talking straight.

 

**JIN:** Ah… then you heard the insults too.

 

**SADAMU:** They’re not insults, just observations. I am not a violent man, but Hana is within her own right to be… intimidated.

 

**JIN:** I suppose so.

 

**SADAMU:** Are you offended on my behalf? I implore you,  _ monsieur  _ bleeding heart, do not worry about me. It takes a lot more than that to rattle or offend me.

 

**JIN:** If you say so…

 

_ And with that, Sadamu turned back to the jukebox. I shrugged, making my leave. No use trying to comfort someone who doesn’t want to be comforted, especially since I’m so bad at it. Minon was still asleep in the armchair I’d left her in, and her snores sounded like someone choking on their own blood. I winced, quickly hopping into the dining room to get away from the disgusting noise. How was she even still alive? _

 

_ The dining room was also relatively empty- but I suppose that must just be to the pure size of all the rooms here. They were meant to accommodate far more people than just us… even if there were only eight bedrooms. Shizuya and Hiroko were rooting around, as well as Maiku, who’d apparently left Taichi alone in Koichi’s bedroom.  _

 

**JIN:** Hey, Maiku. I didn’t think I’d see you down here so soon.

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on sleeve] Sir Taichi made me leave the room after a while… I think he still wanted to search it for stuff. And once I came out, I saw Miss Ruka trying to make her way down the stairs. 

 

**MAIKU:** [Determined; hand pressed to chest] I simply  _ had  _ to aid her! It was only chivalrous! 

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on sleeve] Especially since she seemed to be in such bad shape.

 

**JIN:** That’s pretty noble of you.

 

**MAIKU:** [Proud; puffing out chest] Well, I suppose so! If I can’t aid too much in this investigation, it’s only right that I help out any other way I can. That being said… is this the part of your investigation where you start collecting testimony?

 

**JIN:** Actually, I’m in the middle of trying to check out some physical evidence right now. But if you have anything you’d like to tell me, I’m open for listening.

 

**MAIKU:** Of course! 

 

_ Now that I think about it… Maiku might actually be able to provide me with some pretty important knowledge. The rooms were all soundproofed, but Sadamu had shattered his window. Maiku might have been able to overhear Koichi screaming for help sometime during the night, or something else noteworthy.  _

 

**JIN:** Say, Maiku. Did you happen to hear anything last night? What with your broken window and everything.

 

**MAIKU:** [Interested; head tilted] Why, I can’t say I did. After all, Sadamu was making quite the ruckus last night! He might have drowned out any important information.

 

**JIN:** You didn’t hear anything at all? No screaming?

 

**MAIKU:** Well… I may have heard something, but I assumed it was just Sadamu breaking things in the bathroom. It sounded very faint- like someone had been hurt, but I thought that was just because he’d punched a wall too hard.

 

**MAIKU:** [Worried; tugging on sleeve] Oh dear, I could have helped Koichi, couldn’t I? But I just thought it was unrelated…

 

**JIN:** That’s still very helpful. Thank you for your time, Maiku.

 

**MAIKU:** No problem! I’m afraid I just can’t pinpoint when it happened, because I didn’t have my Monopad on me, and I didn’t bother to check it either. 

 

**JIN:** Well, at least it tells me that Koichi  _ definitely  _ stepped on one of the traps in the  _ woods…  _ not any closer to the cabin. Otherwise you would have heard him a lot clearer.

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Maiku’s Testimony_ **

 

**MAIKU:** [Determined; palm pressed to chest] If you need my help any other way, please let me know, Sir Jin! 

 

**JIN:** I’ll be sure to keep you in mind.

 

_ Finally, I could remove myself from Maiku and head over to the piano. Fond memories of playing it with him started filling my mind, and I smiled despite myself, patting the side of the piano affectionately, momentarily losing my focus and stepping away from the task at hand. I’d talked about a future in music with Shizuya… could that really be possible for me? I loved it, but it’s so hard to make a career like that… if only Hope’s Peak had been the door opener I’d thought it was.  _

 

_ My violin was still sitting there, leaning against the polished wood of the piano. I had to remember to grab it once this trial was over. I didn’t know where we were heading next, but it probably wasn’t a concert hall. I might not get the chance to play again before I died. _

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] You know, for a detective, it doesn’t look like you’re doing much detective work.

 

_ I groaned. _

 

**JIN:** I’m just taking a break. Is that illegal?

 

**SHIZUYA:** No, but murder is. So I suggest you get off your ass and get moving.

 

**SHIZUYA:** Time waits for no man, Kirigiri. And I highly doubt Monokuma does either. So chop chop!

 

**JIN:** I actually came here to investigate the piano- or something close to it, anyway. Hana and Renma said they saw something down here.

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Thinking; clutching cravat] Aren’t they both blind?

 

**JIN:** Renma is, yeah. But I think Hana can open her eyes. Maybe she’s just squinting all the time, or they’re exceptionally narrow.

 

**SHIZUYA:** Not good enough eyesight for them to see what’s going on without sending their little seeing eye dog down here.

 

**JIN:** Is this how you plan to spend  _ your  _ time? Insulting me?

 

**SHIZUYA:** No need. I’ve already found a very useful piece of evidence. The piece you might be looking for in the first place.

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Snapping rope] I found this curled on top of the piano. It looks like it’s been tied at the end, but very poorly.

 

_ I guess this must be the extra missing rope from Koichi's drawers, although I couldn't be sure. It sure looked like it- the same type of fibre, and the same poorly done knots. _

 

**JIN:** Great, more bad knots. There were some upstairs that even a handcuffed person managed to squirm free of.

 

**SHIZUYA:** Yes, Ruka already told us that story. Don’t bore us with any more details.

 

**JIN:** I just wonder what they could have used this rope for.

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Snooty; nose raised] No wonder you have to think hard about it. Your poor little brain must be straining under all the weight.

 

**JIN:** Do  _ you _ know what it was used for?

 

**SHIZUYA:** …

 

**SHIZUYA:** [Defensive; looking away] Why should I tell you?

 

_ I’m taking that as a “no”, then. _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Badly Knotted Rope_ **

 

_ Well, that seems like enough physical evidence for now. Time to go and interview everyone about their alibis. Last time I started with alibis, but now that I have more time to investigate, I’ve shunted them to lowest priority. Hard evidence is a lot more useful than hearsay, but it would still be good to know everyone’s whereabouts last night. Especially since these people are sharing beds now- there’s no way someone could have snuck out without- _

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** Attention, my sweet little bastards! 

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** The time for investigating is now  _ over!  _ The class trial will begin as soon as the participants gather around the elevator door.

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** As always, there’s a fine minute time limit for you to get there! All latecomers  _ will  _ face some of my very special punishment!

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** Oh, and don’t worry about Takaaki. He’s in my special, private medbay, and will be released upon the end of the trial… or killed! I mean, his life rests in the outcome, just like the rest of you schmucks.

 

_ Shit!  _

 

**HIROKO:** [Pissed; middle finger raised] Urgh! I swear to god the times keep gettin’ shorter and shorter! How the fuck were we even meant to figure out this crap?!

 

**JIN:** My thoughts exactly. It’s not like we can just say no to this, though.

 

**MAIKU:** [Determined; hand pressed to chest] Ah! I’ll go grab Sir Taichi! He’s probably still inside the bedrooms and couldn’t hear that!

 

_ Maiku stumbled forwards, but then a sudden wave of exhaustion seemed to overtake him, and he had to steady himself against the wall. _

 

**JIN:** No need, Maiku. You’re still tired from last night. I can find him.

 

**MAIKU:** [Sleepy; rubbing eyes] Ah… thank you so much, Sir Jin…

 

_ The rest of the room started rushing out of the door, Hiroko grabbing Maiku’s hand and dragging her out with him. As I exited, I could see that Minon had miraculously woken up at just the right time, and was being escorted out of the door by Shizuya. I shuddered as I watched them step or jump over the body, as if Koichi’s corpse was nothing more than a roadblock in their path. It was one thing for  _ **_me_ ** _ to be used to death… but just what was this killing game doing to our morality? _

 

_ I ascended the stairs two at a time, but before I could turn the hallway corner to go and get Taichi, I ended up bumping straight into him. I scrambled to grab onto the banister before I went tumbling down the stairs, and Taichi reached out to help steady me. _

 

**TAICHI:** [Guilty; looking to the side] Uh… S-Sorry, Agent Jin.

 

**JIN:** No, I should have been looking where I was going.

 

_ I straightened up, brushing myself down, and Taichi scuffed his shoe against the carpeted floor of the hallway. _

 

**TAICHI:** Why’d y-you come up to get me?

 

**JIN:** Maiku thought that you wouldn’t know what was going on if you were investigating the dorms.

 

**TAICHI:** [Proud; pushing glasses up] I’m n-not an idiot. I left all the doors open for this specific reason!

 

**JIN:** I guess you didn’t need my help, then.

 

...

 

**TAICHI:** W-Well… we should g-get going soon, right?

 

**JIN:** Uh… yeah. I suppose so. I don’t think it’s that much of a ru-

 

**MONOKUMA (Voice):** Three more minutes!

 

**JIN:** Shit!

 

_ The two of us scrambled down the stairs, making a break for the door and sprinting out. Taichi kicked Koichi’s body out of the way, and I winced, but didn’t have time to dwell on it. The cold air stung my lungs as I ran, nearly slipping on the icy grass more than a few times. By the time I reached the gathering of students outside the door to the elevator, I was out of breath, steadying myself on my knees and panting. Man, I really needed to exercise more. _

 

_ I slid my hand up my pants and noticed something tucked into my pocket. Frowning, I pulled it out, but didn’t have time to look at it before the elevator doors slid open. I was funnelled in along with the rest of the class, ending up squashed against a corner- even though it was eerily more spacious in here than it had been last time. _

 

**ISANA (Voice):** Ah, it’s still so dark… didn’t Monokuma, like, tell us he wasn’t going to chaperone us anymore? Who’s close to the controls?

 

**SADAMU (Voice):** I am. I think.

 

**MAIKU (Voice):** Ah, Sir Sadamu! Come to me, I think I’m being trampled.

 

**HIROKO (Voice):** Cut it out, dweeb! Stop squirming! I’m five foot seven, not a giant. I ain’t gonna squash you!

 

**SADAMU (Voice):** Maiku, I don’t even know where you are. And I… also don’t know how to operate this thing.

 

**SHIZUYA (Voice):** Ugh! Move aside, everyone. I’ll do it.

 

_ A beeping noise was heard, and then the blue lights of the elevator flickered on. We lurched forwards, back into the jaws of the trial room. In the dim, faint blue glow of the elevator lights, I held the paper up to my face and read. _

 

_...What the fuck? My hands started to tremble as I scanned each line, before quickly folding it back up and pocketing it before anyone else could see it. When had this been planted on me? Why hadn’t I noticed until now? Was this meant for me?  _

 

**_> > GAINED TRUTH BULLET: Strange Note?_ **

 

_ No matter what the answers to those questions were, the content of that note had chilled me to the core: _

 

_ IF YOU GO OUTSIDE, YOU WILL BE KILLED TONIGHT. _

_ STAY IN YOUR ROOM. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LEAVE. THIS IS YOUR ONE WARNING. _

_ \- 0 _

  
  


**“FROZEN TEARDROPS SCATTERED ON AN ANGEL’S WASTELAND” DAILY LIFE - END**

 

**13 STUDENTS REMAINING**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is actually one that went through the biggest deal of revision. Originally, someone other than Koichi died this chapter, but due to personal reasons I felt that Koichi was becoming very draining to write. I see my characters a lot like projections of my own self, but Koichi encapsulated my experiences with my abusers, as well as the person I used to be when I was in an environment where toxic behaviour was normalised. It was hard to keep him around, and to place Jin in uncomfortable positions around him. So I decided for my own mental health- and for the health of the story! I would kill him this chapter instead of the would-be victim. I feel this makes for a far more... compelling case, anyway.
> 
> As always, you can vote for who you believe the killer to be here: https://www.strawpoll.me/16523932


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